Tale of Songbird and the King
by Lyandresse
Summary: They both have the same naive dream yet different methods. One aspires to be king to create his own peaceful country and another travels to share her belief through songs. All for realizing a world without war, a place where everyone belongs.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Hi Everyone! This is my first time writing a fanfiction so pardon any beginner grammatical mistakes and so on. English is not my mother language but I'm aspiring to improve it :D. I just finished binge-reading both Magi mangas and watch a little of their animes (but I prefer to read the manga because the anime's pacing is... too fast). But anyway Magi is soo amazing! And it inspires me to write my very first fanfic! It's only a prologue for now but I still hope you guys enjoy it! R&R will be very appreciated (`w`)/

 **Edited:** Conform to the naming of Parthevia instead of Partevia (geez syntax and semantic) and a few typos.

* * *

 **Prologue - Anomaly**

Ramla Meshkenet had only cried once in her 4 years of life. That occurred when she was just welcomed into this world, under the modest shelter of a wooden rooftop that blocked the view of a dark night sky where the crescent moon glowed luminously. Her cries only lasted for a moment until a pair of gentle arms enveloping the fragile newborn with utmost love and care. Such is the role of a mother.

Ramla was born on a regular night without extraordinary phenomenon. There were no shooting stars, no erratic turbulence in either the wind or ocean waves near her birthplace. The air was chilly but just as any other nights. It was nothing special. It's as if the world itself decided to ignore this occasion. Although the opposite can be said in the following year when the first class singularity is born.

When Ramla was a year old, she noticed the lack presence of a man who supposed to be the backbone of her family. Such is the role of a father. How she understood the concept of a father was beyond her. But she knew something was amiss even though no one has ever told her about it, including her mother, Selma.

Nurturing Ramla as a single parent was easier than what Selma had expected. Because she has spectated how her female peers were troubled when raising their newborns. How they always cried for milk and upsetting situations. How they were feeling discomfort against new faces. How they awoke their parents in the middle of the night with their piercing cries and without comprehensible reasons. How her female peers became too occupied with simply handling their baby and could not attend an occasional gathering held by their residents. That's why Selma was not confident about raising her only child and remaining family, alone.

But Ramla never cries even once in her care.

She does not cry for milk.

She isn't afraid of the presence of new people.

She never disturbs her sleep in the night.

And a year after her birth, whenever her immature bladder system seeks for assistance, she would make a sound to notify Selma. The same happened when she was hungry.

Ramla was… convenient to raise. And at first, Selma was glad to have such an intelligent child.

When Ramla was 2 years old, Ramla learned that her father was summoned by her kingdom, Parthevia, to participate in a war. Her mother released the revelation proudly with gleaming eyes as if the fact that her father hasn't returned yet is a joyful news.

As if contributing to a war is man's unuttered duty since birth.

Why she holds such perception could not be understood, even by herself. But she knows that her heart despises war.

When Ramla was 3 years old, she started showing tremendous growth in her body coordination. By then, she was almost able to walk properly instead of crawling and converse fluently without stumbling on her words. In addition, she also possesses knowledge that she was not supposed to have such as a good remedy for fever, sewing techniques, an eye to notice a seemingly spoiled apple, languages the people of Parthevia never heard of, and many other things.

Though soon, her too intelligent behavior and knowledge became unnerving to her mother and other adults. Because they saw nothing childish and innocent within the olive colored orbs of Selma's daughter. Those were not the eyes of a child. They gave an impression of people who have lived long and seen a lot. Ramla was a child in disguise in their opinion, somewhat a kind of anomaly. Since then, whatever the young infant did and expressed seems to be fake even in the eyes of her mother, Selma. She is scared of her own daughter and so she put distance between them.

Ramla did and did not understand why her mother acts differently from the usual. She became distant and uncaring akin to a stranger that only has the responsibility of feeding and providing shelter for her. Her childish side begs for the affection to return but the other part of her decided not to entertain the notion. Because that other part of her understands that it is natural for her mother to be frightened by her unnatural capabilities and thus her mother would not be able to accept her as who she is.

But… who is she, really? She still doesn't understand herself. So in the end, Ramla did not attempt anything to fix her relationship with her mother.

The internal conflict to prove her true identity keeps growing. Ramla felt like she was an adult but at the same time, also a child. Yet she could not approve such contradictory either. As the result, she doesn't know how to interact with children of her age. While other children were playing hide and seek, a part of her wants to join but the other judges it as childish and unnecessary. She felt like her other part reprimanded her to do something else for the sake of impending future which she doesn't even know of, weirdly. Thus in the end, she could not receive her dose of normal socialization and she felt really… lonely.

Until one day, she saw a group of her peers forming a circle and hopping around to maintain the formation. And there, she heard a childish melody sang by the children. It wasn't that beautiful but the pure intent of the song resonated in her heart, urging her to sing along.

That's right, she had heard this song before. And she loved to sing in front of a crowd before. To raise their spirits, to narrate the past, to foretold the future… and to touch their hearts and share her feelings.

Because song transcends all.

Her heart stirred and there's a strong force that pulled her mouth open. So she let her voice roamed freely, capturing all attention from the surrounding people. The children stopped humming and jumping. The adults halted their work. The birds decided to lay on tree branches to listen. The air became lighter and the wind playfully blew softly around the perimeter. Every sound ceased to exist except hers. All the heads turned towards her, captivated by her melodious voice. There was something that made their heart feels lighter, peaceful and energetic like the rhythm and innocent lyrics of that children song even though they are still in the middle of a war.

The moment lasted for minutes before Ramla gained her consciousness and noticed all the people staring at her. Never been in such a predicament before, she felt very pressured. Her voice began to falter until it came inaudible. Her cheek started to redden and her legs moved before she could comprehend what has happened. She ran away as fast as she could from the premise.

In the middle of her escape, the first sound that returned was a bright chuckle from a boy who seems younger than her. All she remembered was the shade of light purple that messily adorned his head and the bright determined golden eyes that sucked people in his gaze.

Ramla recognized that the boy was special. But it did not matter at that time.

The rumor of that incident spread like wildfire. Both children and adult seek for her voice though the latter never openly expressed it. Selma did not know what to say either to her daughter regarding her talent. All in all, Ramla was still an anomaly to most of the people in Tison Village.


	2. Chapter 1 - The Return of a Hero

**A/N:** Hello again everyone! I'm back after two weeks with a new chapter~ There are a lot of things I want to say :3. First of all... Thank you so so so so much for the follows, favs and reviews! You don't know how much it means for me :'). I'm really grateful for all of the people who spare their time to read my fic. Also, I decided to reply all of the reviews at the end of this chapter (' w'). Secondly, I was actually in my exam period. I don't even know why I'm neglecting my study for this lol. So expect the next chapter to come out 2-3 weeks later at the _EARLIEST_. As much as I'd like to just write all day, my university life won't let me. Plus I don't have the draft or even started to write for the next chapter, so it might take a while. But I promised to post it asap within a month! You have my words :3. Next point is... I'm still unsure about the genre of this story... It might change as the story progresses, but I will make an announcement if that happened. The romance will still be there but it will be a slow burn. Or actually, it might change to Family instead of Romance, but we shall see xD! Lastly, my friend has been drawing the cover of this fic for me \o/ \o/, I will update this story cover once she's done with it _(yippee)_!

 **Disclaimer: Following the other cool fanfic writers, I declare that I do not own Magi. But Ramla is mine!**

 **Edited: (I)** Change the pronouns in several dialogues on the first scene i.e. "His" to "Father". **(II)** Grammar/Vocab issues. **(III)** Omitting Japanese honorifics.

* * *

 **Chapter One - The Return of a Hero**

 _The dark flames danced maniacally from the ground, casting their ominous shadow upon the sea of corpses that scattered hideously around the battlefield. Most of the deads were charred into an unrecognizable state, some remained impaled by black pole as mere lifeless flesh and a few who still survived had already lost to despair, waiting for their ill-fated turn to be doomed. Shrill of anguish that had filled the atmosphere began to diminish, leaving the crisp sound of burnt houses._ _The fertile land that was once populated had almost turned into an ashen desert, nearly devoid of both living and non-living beings._

 _Countless sacrifices were made in order to protect their sanctuary, her sanctuary, though all went in vain in the end._

 _Yet the blazes were still not satisfied, as they greedily spread more and engulfed more until nothing remains, except her._

 _Why didn't the flame consume her? Why was she left alone in here? She would never imagine her dearest home to end up as a barren land, stripped from the laughter and joy of her people. It was just yesterday that they were dancing cheerfully, following the lead of her song and together, their collaborative performance was another masterpiece. And it took five years for them to build this haven along with the strong bonds between the people from different tribe and race._

 _Then this happened._

 _Everything they built had returned to dust. Their hard effort was easily trampled in a mere hour. And everything_ _suddenly seemed so fleeting to her that she forgot how to bawl from the unfairness of this world. Her eyes were hollow, unconsciously carving the grotesque scene in her mind, never to be forgotten._

 _"So pathetic. As expected of the weakest link in the army hierarchy."_

 _The sudden mockery from her rear broke the despondence trance she was in. It stabbed her heart deeply and churned her stomach to spill everything inside. Her forgotten tears started to gather in the corner of her eyes but she frantically tried to hold them back on the verge of breaking free, flowing and admitting defeat._

 _Why?_

 _That voice was too sickly familiar to her. The once calm and kind voice that always soothes her worries, aid her in numerous troubles and encouraging her existence, was now seemed lunatic and dangerous. That was not how it supposed to sound like. It could not be true. Because she was a friend. No, she was more than a friend._

 _She trusted her._

 _They trusted her._

 _That is why the person behind her must be an impostor, or at least that what she desperately begged for. That person was not her loyal comrade, she convinced her own heart._

 _Still, she needed to confirm it with her own eyes. To prove her belief, she needed to move, stand up and turn around._

 _But her body was heavy and numb as if there were invisible weights forcedly placed on her entire self. She could not even twitch her fingers. Why were not they listening to her? T_ _hey won't obey her orders no matter how strongly she will them to move. Her body was weirdly submissive to the earth, her eyes were dangerously fluttering to close and dark spots were wildly reverberating in her feeble sight. These sensations were foreign to her and it sent a red alarm to her head. She had lost control of her body._

 _And that thought was really frightening._

 _"Still, I did not expect you to go down so easily. I regret wasting too many magoi for this."_

 _That declaration boiled her blood in rage. The tears that she tried to contain had found their way into her cheek and fell to the charred ground. There were numerous emotions surging inside her but her exhaustion rendered her useless to rise against that perpetrator, the one who chanted the destruction of her most invaluable treasure. She was having difficulty to breathe with all the smokes that senselessly protruding her weak lungs. The usual comforting smell of fragrant flower was gone, replaced with the stench of lingering burnt and blood. Especially the blood, she felt that the awful smell was too close, too intense._

 _Then she noticed something was pooling under her body. They were red and they were creeping to stain her chin with their vibrant color._

 _She was bleeding to death._

 _"Ohh.. so pitiful. Why don't you sing like you always do and believe?" A sarcastic chortle escaped from the lips of the acclaimed impostor woman who was towering her miserable sprawled figure._

 _It was ironic how her senses became sharp as the sickening voice kept pricking at her awareness, anchoring her to the dreadful reality she was in._

 _That she had lost everything and everyone on her watch._

 _That she was dying helplessly._

 _And how her comrade was the cause of those misfortunes._

 _She felt really lost that she_ _could only remain muted in return, weakly denying the fact that was transpiring in front of her and the past guts that were always telling her that her comrade will betray._

 _"If only you didn't revolt against our Father, you would still be able to sing as much as you want. But you didn't sing for Father's sake! Look at where you are right now!"_

 _She could not bring herself to observe her surroundings anymore. Because in this reality, she had no one around her. Soon, she too will perish._

 _"Though that's not the point, is it?"_

 _There was an abrupt pause when she could feel that woman's cold gaze boring into her back, smirking in arrogance and derision before the next sharp sentence shook her foundation._

 _"Your voice can't reach everyone and that is the truth!"_

 _No, no. That's not true._

 _Her mouth opened to retort but strangely nothing avail came out. She wanted to fight for her own conviction. But why?_

 _Why did everything that woman say weighs the truth?_

 _Why was she this powerless? What made her voice so weak?_

 _... Why did that woman betray them?_

 _"I was hoping you can return to Father's side with your death. But it surprised me how even the Rukh does not circulate around you. Rejected by all, you shall return to nothingness, not by this side and not by your comrades' side."_

 _The words started to become muffled as her consciousness was slowly fading away._

 _Ah... in this time too, she failed to protect once again. Her voice could not reach, again._

 _"This is the last time I will be talking to you. Now... Farewell, Outsider."_

 _That woman's last rite signified the end of her life, but never her regrets and sorrows._

 _If only her voice could reach more... If only she listened to her hunch and believed those words from her dreams..._

 ** _Sharpens your ears, Oh the next one. Never forget this day and all of your mistakes._**

* * *

Ramla was forcedly awakened from her deep slumber by another episode of her nightmare. She jolted up from her thin rug mattress, gasping for fresh air to inhale. Her breathing was abnormally labored and all of her sweats have made her short peanut-colored locks to stick uncomfortably in her small face. The cheap blanket that was partially covering her lap was strongly buckled under her grasp. Her body did not show any sign of easing up and her eyes were still fixated on somewhere afar that does not belong to this world.

Ramla was still trapped in her daze, losing her capability to distinguish dream from reality. The horrendous scenes from her dream kept unwinding in her mind, along with the echo of warning that gradually rings louder in her ears as second ticks by.

 ** _Never forget this day and all of your mistakes._**

Her sense of reality blurred as her olive orbs widened in fear of the tragedy that was shown in the back of her mind. A feeling of remorse swelled within her heart and she felt like she was imprisoned in a world she does not know of, to relive the moment of a young adult who she was not.

 _"-la! Ramla!"_

She could faintly hear another voice in her head, calling her name over and over. But it was less dominant than the scream of those people who died in anguish.

 _"...Ramla. You will awake your mother."_

That sentence had immediately pulled her senses back, gaining a temporary dizziness in the process, before her eyes quickly tried to search the figure of her mother who in fact was resting peacefully several inches away beside her. She sighed in relief though it was quite short-lived since her annoyance toward her other part has quickly taken over.

 _You scared me._

 _"So do you. I could not think of anything else to say to make you stop hyperventilating," she_ softly uttered, half apologetic, while _her_ tone leaked out a genuine concern for the young girl.

And that simple gesture was too much for Ramla to stay peeved. So the trivial matter was soon ignored by Ramla, changing her attention to a word that tasted off upon her lips.

 _Hyper- what?_

 _"Nevermind about that. Look at your current state."_

Ramla looked down to discover that she was sweating profusely, drenching her resting instrument and soaking her plain white dress with an unpleasant odor. The combination of her slightly damp clothes and the rough material from her mattress started to scratch her skin and it made her itchy. She grumbled in discomfort while tugging the strain of her messy and oily hair to the back of her ears. Her mind begrudgingly added several new tasks to her schedule today, involving washing herself and her attire along with her traditional bed to rid of its stink.

Though her mind trying to be organized, her heart still thundering erratically inside her chest. Her dreams... Lately, they were not as intangible as they were supposed to be. Her dreams were so vivid as if she was living in that cursed moment.

So she tried her best to still, letting the time to calm herself down and reduce the tension in her body while she continued whispering to herself that it was just a dream. Her attempt seems to be working as the horrible sight completely disappears from the back of her mind and her heartbeat returned to pulsate in a regular rhythmic.

 _"Are you calm now?"_

Ramla silently nodded to herself. Now she felt silly about how she was so disoriented a minute ago by a figment of her imagination- a somewhat scary dream.

 _"It might be real."_

Her other part intruded into her mind once more, this time with an indecipherable piece of _her_ viewpoint. Aside from _her_ abundant knowledge of living, _she_ always gave cryptic advice and guides Ramla vaguely into the path she cannot fathom as an infant. Because _her_ thoughts are the series of collected and philosophical thinking of a mature woman, different from what Ramla can contemplate. Ramla deduced so because her other part has the same pitch as her, only an octave lower and also the fact that _she_ always speaks sagely.

Ramla could never grasp most of the arguments her other part was trying to imply, yet she could not also deny or ignore _her_ existence. Often, _she_ is being too forceful in suggesting what Ramla should do in her limited childhood time as if there was an urgent matter that requires her utmost priority. Yet whatever the matter is, still unknown to both of them. Regardless, she can feel a strong spiritual connection between them and however it may seem, she knows that her other part does not have any ill intention towards her but only for her goodness. So in the end, she plays along with _her_ again, just as what she always does.

 _No, it is just a scary dream. Like a bad fairytale._

 _"I hope that was the case."_

 _Yes, it is just a dream._

 _"It doesn't sound convincing when you keep repeating that to yourself."_

Ramla frowned at _her_ persistence but more to the nagging sensation in her heart that agrees with _her_.

 _"Listen to your heart. Deep down, you understand this frustrated feeling. We experienced it before."_

True just as _she_ said, the feeling was evident there. The anger of one's incompetence, failing to do what one could accomplish. How strange.

 _But I never feel something like this before! Mother is breathing. People in here are still moving. I don't know where is that place or who are those people!_

 _"... Me neither. But we know it's real."_

Ramla bit her lip in frustration. She feels that she gets more non-sensical questions than attaining some closures while talking to _her_ right now. Maybe someday she will find peace where she would discover the truth, especially about herself and her other part.

Pushing aside her complicated thought, she decided to check on the current time, leaving her sleeping spot slowly and quietly as not to wake her mother. Her foot stealthily took steps at a constant pace, approaching one of the window curtains. Once there, she strained the tips of her fingers feet to momentarily raise her height before slightly ushering the curtains to open. It was taxing to keep that posture even for a bit but she needs it to be able to peek outside, thanks to her short figure. Her eyes quickly scan the sky that was still grim, lacking the blissful daylight that marks the beginning of a day. But she caught a glimpse of purple mixed with orange hues, painting a bit of the sky. The temperature was low but it felt less cold than when it was past midnight. Her instinct and knowledge surmised that it will be an hour at most until the sunrise. Knowing that she won't be able to return to her sleep, she decided might as well to begin her day earlier than usual.

Regarding what she should do...

She sniffed at herself reluctantly and grimaced in response. She better washed herself before she attracted unwanted attention. The thought of drenching herself in the cold morning water is not really encouraging, but that will have to do.

Well, not in her current soaked dress anyway. She needs to change and dry off a bit unless she would like to catch a cold. After a while, with a quick grab of her oil lamp and bathing equipment, she ventured outside with a fixed destination in mind.

* * *

A year has passed since Ramla has randomly sung in front of the people in Tison Village. Her name becomes renowned and she receives more stares than what she would appreciate. Although that might be a good opportunity to improve her impression to the others, she did not take it. More than half a year she received perturbing glances from the adults, including her mother, and that short interval has drilled a sense of insecurity within her. She could not look at their eyes directly because she did not like what reveals in those eyes. Their stares were accusing her of someone eerie and inhuman so she ended up believing those labels, that she was weird and not normal. Somewhere along the line, she wished someone would just accept her and showered her with love. But the fact that the closest person to her, her mother, has failed to do so, greatly plummets her courage to open up and try to reach other people.

Yes, she had lost trust to the adults in her village like how they distrust her as a child. If only she could mingle with other children of her age, she would not feel this desolated. But she couldn't. It's like they have different wavelength and she needs to go out of her length just to act similarly to them. Even though they are both children.

On the bright side, she has her other part who always occupy her mind out of her dark thoughts and loneliness. _She_ taught her about ways of living, language, culture, nature and lots of things as if _she_ had experienced all of them before. _She_ peaks her curiosity to learn about the world and Ramla really enjoys talking with _her_ , that is until _she_ started to nag at her or brought up a bizarre topic just like before.

 _She_ is indeed very knowledgeable at almost everything except _herself_. Ramla once asked what and who _she_ is but _she_ could not answer them. Though at one time, _she_ once claimed that _she_ is Ramla. Of course, Ramla does not believe such a thing.

It is difficult to talk to someone without a name, so Ramla called her Marla, an anagram of her own. _She-_ Marla does not object to the new name. In fact, _she_ seems quite pleased with the name that was bestowed upon _her_... Or maybe more on teasing Ramla's poor creativity.

Either way, Ramla is fond of Marla and the feelings are mutual. However, it won't ever replace the normal human interaction that Ramla truly needs.

 _"Avoiding people again, aren't you?"_

 _That's the best for everyone._

 _"Surely you know it's not true."_

Ramla restrained herself from uttering another reply to Marla. She hated whenever this matter was discussed between them. Because Marla always points out her weakness and mistake accurately in the hope that she would change. But no, she was not going to try. She has Marla and that was enough.

Ramla strides faster over the uneven ground, passing the residence swiftly while hugging her clothes more tightly to her chest, hoping that it would help her preserve the heat inside her body. One hand was holding the oil lamp to guide her through the dark path before the dawn. Only at this time, she hopes the sun would rise sooner. She started to miss the gentle ray of light on her face.

 _"The shore is nearer yet you choose the river. Is it really because of the fishermen? Are you really afraid of them- no, adults?"_

Marla hits her spot but she would not budge. It is true that the fishermen would be preparing to sail around this time. That's why she chose the river even though it was more distant than the shore that would only take about ten minutes walk from her home.

 _"You are so stubborn."_

 _Ugh, Marla! Leave me alone, please?_

Ramla really wanted Marla to drop the subject and let her enjoy the fresh air of the day despite its coldness.

 _"But at this rate, you will catch a cold. Taking a bath in this early morning just because you want to avoid people is dumb."_

Ramla knows very well that she does not have an ounce of privacy when facing against Marla. The thing that she doesn't want anyone to discover and point out, Marla does them all. And she hates it when her vulnerability can be easily exposed regardless of Marla's intention.

 _That's it_ , she pouted.

Ramla decided to ignore whatever Marla was trying to say. Unfortunately, she doesn't have the capability and strong willpower to block Marla's voice outside of her head. So she racked up her brain to think of anything that will distract her and Marla altogether. The lack of noises from her surroundings sends her a brilliant idea. Soon, she slowly reduced her pace and with her mouth closed, she hummed joyfully to herself.

She lets her hum to conquer her thoughts and mind, muting Marla's voice in the background.

She could feel Marla internally sighed at her childish display but Marla does not intend to stop her. She knows that Marla loves whenever she sings or does anything related to that. And she loves it too, singing. Since that incident, she showed great interest in the art and she has been secretly practicing when no one was around. This new hobby of her fills the emptiness in her heart and it made her less sad about her situation.

Their travel became more pleasant as her croon envelops her surrounding in a soft lull. Without any conversations, her mood has drastically increased and her body was feeling less cold by now due to the slowly-build resistance in her body against the chilly atmosphere. Time passed by so quickly when she was enraptured by her own melody and soon her ears caught the distinct sound of water, flowing as ever gently. The source came from several meters away in front of her and true to her hearing, she spotted a simple tall wooden gate which symbolizes the entrance of Tison Village. In front of it was a little bridge that tags the starting territory of her village from the outside and underneath the bridge was the small river that acts as a borderline, separating the two lands apart.

Ramla smiled in delight, stopping her hum in track, as she quickens her pace to reach the edge of the ground near the river. Then she plopped herself down, swaying her feet on the river's surface to test it before dipping them down. The action straightly sent a shiver through her spine, demanding her to reconsider her plan. Though after mulling for a while, she braved herself to just put up with it. She placed everything she carried beside her and immediately undressed before throwing her drenched garment to the other side. Her exposed body trembles when it directly touches the cool air, almost making her sneeze.

 _"Better do it fast."_

 _I know._

She seized one of the towels at her side and soaked it in the river before rubbing it gently over her slim body. She repeats the same action, sometimes cleansing the towel back to the river once in a while until her body feels cleaner. Then she moved to her peanut-colored hair, sandwiching one of her short strains between her folded towel while scrubbing it softly. She soon fell into the same routine until there was a slight tremor in the ground that breaks her peacefulness.

 _What was that?_

 _"Put your ears to the ground."_

Ramla did what she was told without a word.

 _"Sounds like footsteps... No, a horse? It might be bandits or thieves. Just quickly gather your things and hide!"_

The rare frantic sound from Marla made her nervous as she quickly put on her new black outfit and sweeps her belongings on her arm while the other clings the lamp she brought from home. Her hair was still wet so she draped her other unused towel on top of her head while she was scrutinizing a good place to hide in the panicky moment. There was barely anything that can conceal her well and she just noticed how barren her village has become. But that was for later to mull over.

Not far from where she was, she found a house-sized tree with its thin trunk. Having nowhere better to hide, she rushed to the tree and cover herself behind its trunk, hoping that her small frame could get fully hidden.

 _"The lamp."_

Upon concise instruction from Marla, she turned the wick down into the burner until the flame goes out.

Gone was the only source of her light thus her sight became unreliable. Nevertheless, she still peeks to the gate in hope of seeing the intruders and maybe their intention to this village. The marching step of horses gradually grew stronger followed by the loud thump of her heartbeat. The cold was once forgotten.

Her eyes haven't adapted to the darkness but she could make a small carriage carried by two horses in a tiny speck of light. Her view became clearer as they get closer to the gate of her village, having two burnt torches clinging on each side of the carriage. Atop on each horse was a man wearing a gold metal suit which clinks every time they move.

The carriage soon stopped at the bridge, and the seemingly-like soldiers dropped from their horses and escorted a person out from the transport.

"We have arrived at Tison Village, Sir Badr," one of the escorts respectfully bowed to the- presumably man from his name. Her hiding spot also limited her view from catching the full sight of the three intruders.

"I see. Thank you for taking me here," the man- Badr replied with a deep voice which confirms her previous assumption.

"Are you sure you don't want us to directly escort you to your house?" raised another different voice in concern.

"... I am capable to take care of myself. Please do not worry. Also, I don't want to disturb the villagers at this time. It's too early for them to wake up," Badr chuckled lightly but his exhaustion was plain in Ramla's ears.

"Very well... Then we shall take our leave. Please be safe," the escorts gave Badr a farewell before giving him a torch of fire as his lighting.

After confirming the soldiers was away from her sight, her focus came back to the man that was now proceeding somewhat awkwardly towards the village. By then, Ramla could observe the man more thoroughly. The man was quite tall compared to the normal villagers that she knows of, and he has a muscular build that makes his presence largely known to the eye. His purplish hair reaches the back of his strong neck, spiking naturally at the end of its strain. In spite of the strong impression he emitted, the man seems to have difficulty in walking and his attire was full of dirt, tarnishing the white robe he was wearing.

"Who's there!?"

The sudden exclamation from the man halted her inspection in surprise. Ramla almost squeaked in return while trying to become non-existent behind the tree trunk she was hiding. She could hear the sound of metal drawn from its sheath and the burning torch that was pointed to her way.

 _W-what to do!?_

 _"... He doesn't seem like a bad guy. Judging from their conversation before and his reaction just now, he must be someone who serves the army... or someone who returns from the war," Marla deeply mused in a serious tone._

Ramla was still unsure about what to do as the tension raised in the air. She could feel a pair of eyes striking intensely at her spot.

 _"It should be okay for you to come out. I don't think he will harm you,"_ seeing the young girl in disarray, Marla gave her a push.

But Ramla stayed unmoving.

 _"Ramla?"_

Reading her dark thoughts and anxiety in her heart, Marla soothly calms her down.

 _"He may be an adult, but I can surely assure you that he wasn't in the village when that silly rumor started. He doesn't know a single thing about you. So it's okay. Everything will be okay."_

To be honest, Ramla would run away if she could, but that would only raise her suspicion even though she was only taking a bath in that river. Still, she does not want to deal with an adult.

Though once again, it's not like she had any better option to do. Following Marla's encouragement, she stepped out from the shade hesitantly, appearing fully in the man's plain sight.

Gold met olive, each reflects different expression in their eyes. But that doesn't last long since the staring contest was interrupted by Marla's solemn declaration which completely nullifies her previous reasoning.

 _"I was wrong. Don't get involved with him."_

* * *

Badr was exhausted from the long war he participated in the name of Parthevia. The last war only lasted for two years, shorter in comparison with the previous ones, yet it felt like an eternity.

At first, he pledged to kill for his country so that Parthevia can be glorified and stay prosperous. However, after numerous wars, he started to question if what he's been doing is right.

Many of his comrades fell in the war, leaving whatever belonging that can be picked up and send back to their family. He could still remember the chat he had with them, talking about their family endearingly, waiting for the moment of their reunion and living in peace once the war is over. But that moment never came because human lives were so fragile. A stab in the heart and a twist to their neck will rip their life.

That's right. At the beginning, he had many people surrounding him, protecting his back and fighting together through whatever difficulty was thrown at them. But slowly, one-by-one, they started to disappear for good. His body continues to strive for his duty regardless of the lost lives, yet his heart falters to grief.

Is this what it feels like to lose a comrade? Does his enemy also experience the same thing? What has caused this to happen?

War.

The answer came straightly to his mind.

They should have never waged war in the first place. No one should. War is just a measure to strip people from what they possess on the pretext of strengthening a country, flourishing their own. War is a crime just as stealing, maybe worse. Because war steals the life of people not just their possession.

War becomes a plague that he utterly despises. Ironically he was still obligated to join in the gruesome _duty_ or else his family will be alienated. So once again, he heartbreakingly left his wife with a three months old son, swearing that he will return alive no matter what.

He took the lives of countless people, whose family might be waiting for their return, for the same reason as those he had murdered. To be able to meet his family and live with them once again. His wish was so simple and yet they are so hard to grasp within this cursed world.

He saw the horrible faces of both allies and enemies that have died on the battlefield. He saw how the blood gnawing on his hands and sword. Sometimes, he felt like he had lost his humanity and was driven to the path of insanity. But the image of her smiling wife, cuddling his newborn son, resurfaced in his mind. And that one reason is enough to give him the power to endure a bit more. He promised after all.

There was a moment when he was assigned to an expedition to destroy their enemy's supply station. According to their intel, this place was less guarded due to its difficult terrain for invaders to infiltrate. Due to this reason, his commander had dispatched him with a small group of people, lurking around to ruin their enemy's ration. Strangely, there was no sign of a single guard even when they had reached the deepest part of its territory. Everyone was lulled into false sense of security, entering the seemingly legit supply storage. But they should have known better. It was a trap. The fake storage house was filled with oil and soon, it was set on fire, causing great distress to Badr and his allies. The fire was licking the crook and cranny of the house in no time, making its foundation too fragile until it couldn't support the solid rooftop. It fell harshly, burying all the people inside. Everyone was granted an instant death but Badr survived with a fatal injury. His left leg was trapped under the rubbles and he couldn't pull it out even with all of the force he had mustered. He tried to call for help but he realized no one was alive anymore. He was alone in that hot place, stuck and could not escape. Smokes started to fill his lungs and his oxygen supply started to running low. The situation was hopeless in his eyes and dangerous thoughts started to sway his will to live.

Is this the place where he dies?

Maybe it's better to die than continuing this foolish battle.

How many more lives should be sacrificed to end this senseless war?

Can't people just co-exist and live peacefully?

Actually, it did not matter anymore as he just wanted to die.

He was ready to meet his end, letting his eyes closed to forget about everything. Then he heard the sweet sounds of her wife, calling his name lovingly. She showed him the chubby face of their newborn son with joyful laughter.

What would happen to Esra if he passed on?

She would grief and he could not withstand that. His son also needs a fatherly figure. He wanted to watch his son grows up proudly as an outstanding man, together with Esra.

They need him. And they need him to be back as a living person, not just his ashes or stupid belonging.

So he did the unthinkable. He unsheathed his short blade, ripping his clothes with the weapon before shoving the piece into his mouth. With great determination and courage, he cut down his left leg just above the knee while gritting hard to his teeth, trying to restrain his scream but failed miserably.

It was _very_ painful. And that was an understatement because nothing can describe that sensation when his flesh was torn open. But that just shows how he was still alive. He quickly snagged another piece of his clothes and tied it tightly around his amputated leg before crawling and standing unsteadily towards the exit.

There was no sightable exit though, as the flames and crumbled woods had closed the original escape route. Badr was left with his wit to predict the way out with the least obstacle to increase his survival rate which was something very difficult to do in his predicament as his blood kept leaking, sapping the strength out of him. Still, he needed to get out. If there wasn't any path, then he would just have to carve one. Miraculously, he successfully escaped that hellish place and survived.

Once out, he hid in the nearest bushes, feeling his adrenaline pumped up through his whole body. The pain from his leg was still throbbing, aggressively tried to take away his consciousness. But his commander words kept repeating in his head, how this mission was important to shorten the duration of the war and how it would help Parthevia to emerge victoriously. He could not faint now. No one could end this except him. He would have to do it, even with a single leg to support him standing.

With the remaining willpower he had, he scouted the area sluggishly. As luck was on his side, he discovered his enemies were putting their guard down, thinking that they had rid of them in the fire. He could also spot other houses that similar to the one they had set as a trap.

The intel might not be wrong at all.

He patiently waited until the moment they were in isolation before slitting their throat ruthlessly, only having the thought of surviving in his mind. Slowly but surely he took down all of the guards, leaving the real storage houses unguarded. Without no spare time to waste, he lit all of the houses on fire, destroying any potential ration that kept his enemies to last. His mission was accomplished. Now, he only had to return to his main camp. But he had lost too much blood and he found himself could not move.

 _Someone... anyone..._

He didn't want to die. He wanted to hear Esra voice and fell into her warm embrace together with Sin. He wanted his last moment to be spent with his family.

Just as he started to lose consciousness, a voice of footsteps could be heard. But he could not stay awake as he slowly fell into deep slumber.

The moment he was awake, he was in the main camp, alive and properly treated. One of the physicians was glad to see him conscious before giving him plenty of reassurance that he was alright now. Looking at his confusion state, the physician told Badr that a man had volunteered to be a backup for the expedition and he found Badr laying unconsciously in the middle of burning houses. So he took Badr back to the main camp for urgent treatment. The physician also mentioned that his deed had greatly affected the progress of the war and how it boosts the morale of their forces.

Badr could not believe how lucky he was to be alive. He wanted to meet the man that saved his life. However, he had lost his chance as that man was assigned to a different squadron by that time. The physician did not know his savior's name but he certainly heard other people called that man Meshkenet. The name was oddly familiar to Badr but it didn't ring the bell inside his head at that time.

A week later, the battle has entered its climax and the empire needed more troops to assemble. Disregarding his handicap, Badr was sent out to the front line as if his life, and all other commoners lives, were something that can be easily disposed to guarantee their victory.

What a ridiculous life he had. He hadn't even known what his savior looked like and here he was, sent to another battlefield, facing life and death situation once again. Though at this point, his heart had turned apathetic.

He decided he would kill not for his country, but for his family.

He decided that this would be the last time he would contribute to such atrocity.

Yes, he would do anything to see Esra and his son once more. He also needed to see that man to express his endless gratitude. To do that, he would survive.

And his egoistic desires had brought him to the end of the war as the victorious side. A lot of people from the army cheered for his name and the nobility ascertained him great rewards for his excellent performance.

None of it matters to him. He wasn't even feeling glad in the least. How could victory taste so bland and bitter?

His heart told him to immediately return to his village, but before that, he asked the people around about the man named Meshkenet. One of the soldier came up, showing a silver pendant with an intricate name etched on the piece.

Asad Meshkenet.

Badr suddenly remembered a boy named Asad who used to play around with him in his childhood days. The boy was also from his village though he rarely sees him after they grow up.

It was sickening how war also took the life of his savior and childhood friend. Now Badr was left with gratitude that can never be expressed. The least thing he could do was to return the pendant to his family in person. So he took the necklace and swore to give it back in the army stead.

Disregarding the invitation to the celebration banquet, he pleaded the army to be allowed to return to his village at this instant. Lots of soldiers looked at him disbelievingly, but the empire gave him the permission to do so. Thus he was escorted back to Tison Village by two soldiers in a small carriage.

Soon he would be able to meet with Esra and Sinbad. They are the only ones who hold the rein of his heart, protecting it from falling apart.

After dismissing his escorts, Badr determinedly trudges towards the route of his home. The scenery of his village has changed a lot compared to the day he was summoned to the army. The soil was less fertile and the river had dried off much more than it was before. The plants were now small both in size and quantity, making the surrounding looks duller than it was back then. Fortunately, the houses of the villagers are still standing in good shape, assuring Badr that they are still alive and well.

He would like to rush faster if his legs were complete. Maybe he should just accept those soldiers' offering but he needs little time to be alone, to settle the storm in his heart, before meeting with Esra and Sin.

So currently, he was left with one foot supporting him, hopping bit by bit while maintaining his terrible balance. The activity really drained his non-existent energy and often he almost stumbled upon the ground.

That's when he realized that there were wet footprints on the ground. And his focus immediately went back on alert, feeling someone was observing him from somewhere hidden in the plain sight. Trained on the battlefield against many ambushes, his instinct detects the presence of a person hiding behind a tree. His hand swiftly rested on the hilt of his blade which was hanging on his side, while the other hand moves the torch to the suspicious tree for giving him a better view.

He knows that this place should be safe, away from any potential threats from neighboring country. What he did was out of reflex, built in the span of two years when he was away from peace.

He has experienced good and bad things in life as he aged, war was one of them. But _this_ was the first.

When he saw a young girl who is probably around the same age as his son, coming out from the tree, he was surprised. _Really_ surprised.

Because he does not expect a little girl to wander around at this time of day, hair dripping wet with water and a white towel over her head.

At first, he thought he had lost it but no, the little girl does exist. She was staring at him unsurely with her olive-colored eyes while Badr could feel his mouth gaping a little unbelievingly.

Then his rationality came back and _questions_ started to raid his mind.

 _What was this little girl doing_ _in_ _this early morning, alone and drenched? Is it what I think it is? But no person in his right mind takes a bath at this early morning._

Badr made himself comfortable, putting his hand away from his blade, before outwardly questioning the girl.

"What are you doing in this early morning, Missy?" he asked sweetly, dispersing the once tense atmosphere.

However, outside of his expectation once again, the girl's face has turned pale and she breaks the eye contact with him. Did he somehow exude an aura of hostility? Was it his disheveled outfit?

Badr tried to smile despite his scruffy appearance, extending his intention that he doesn't mean any harm to the girl.

"Sorry. Did I scare you?"

She took a step back, still looking down. Somehow, he felt dejected that he could frighten such an innocent child without doing anything.

... But he can be counted as a murderer, right? He did kill a lot of people. He guessed it's normal for children to have a sharp sense regarding this matter.

"...I was taught not to talk to a stranger."

Her quiet reply dissolves the dark thoughts in his mind. It felt really strange how a short reply from the girl could ease his heart. Now that he thinks about it, is it normal for this little girl to be able to stand comfortably and talk constructively like that? Can Sin also walk properly now?

"That's very clever of you. My name is Badr and I live in this village though I've been away for two years due to some circumstances. I was... going to return to my home until I saw you here. How about you missy? May I know your name?" He shoots once again, more gently and genuine this time, while inspecting the girl's reaction.

The girl was somewhat paying attention to him but her sight was weirdly fixed at his torso. Maybe she was not used to be around new people.

"Ramla." she replied after a while.

He could not remember such name or saw the girl before. Or probably war has made him forgot a lot of things.

"Ramla, that's a pretty name. What are you doing at this time, Ramla?" Badr slowly approached the girl with his leg.

"...I was taking a bath," her eyes were still ignoring his face.

"It's dangerous to wander alone at this time. The river might be shallow, but you can still trip and fall. The water is still cold too, you should wait until the sun rises at least," he stopped one foot away in front of her before struggling to crouch to her eye level.

One of his free hand was extended to reach the towel on her head, placing his big hand on the cloth before rubbing it gently to dry her hair off.

"You will catch a cold," he stated his very first concern, softly.

The girl seems flabbergasted by his sudden closeness as her gaze finally return to his eyes. Her mouth was opened to say something but she discards the idea before looking down embarrassingly.

Badr chuckled in his heart, seeing such a cute reaction after all this time is indeed refreshing.

"Mister," she called him carefully, glancing at the same spot she has been observing.

Feeling curious, Badr's eyes trailed to what she was looking at. Then, he froze.

She has been looking at the lack of flesh below his left knee. All this time.

Was the girl scared because of this? Was she going to ask why did he lose his leg?

He kind of hope she wouldn't because he wanted to forget everything, at least for today.

As if the girl could read him, she asked something different.

"I don't know the way to get back, Mister. Would you accompany me back?"

* * *

 **P.S.** Sorry guys, no Sinbad in this chapter! Also, as you guys probably realized, I'm losing my concentration and words ( _yeah vocabulary I'm looking at you_ ) in the middle of my writing. I also feel that the closure is too rushed. Is the story pacing too slow? Anything illogical? Out of character? Please burn me with reviews :P! Questions and critics are also welcomed!

 _ **twistedlittledoll**_ \- Thank you very much for the support :D, I hope you will like this chapter or just tell me what you honestly think about it ;)!

 _ **Guest**_ \- Here is the update, hope you will drop by and read again!

 _ **Vixen Of Mischief**_ \- I'm so glad you are drawn to my story! Here is another chapter, longer than the previous one since it was only a prologue :). I intend to at least make each chapter this long, even probably more. Hope this is enough for you xD!


	3. Chapter 2 Part 1 - Storge

**A/N:** *Cough* Well, hello once again! I finished my exam so I can spend more time writing this story... for a while. Because I'm going to go somewhere with my family for holiday, leaving my laptop behind. I don't fancy using my mobile phone for writing for some unknown reasons but I can try. Next update will probably in two weeks (more or less depends on my vocab inspiration) since I already planned on what to write (Yeah, it's the continuation of this chapter later). Of course, many thanks for reading, fave, follow and mostly the reviews :)!

Just for clarification purpose, my story mostly revolves around Sinbad No Bouken. Will it ever reach Aladdin arc? I plan to but it will take _time_. And yeah! I updated the cover page of this fic! It takes place on the shore of Tison Village where Badr used to go fishing. The theme color is sunset so their hair and skin colors might get darker than what they originally have. In the picture, Sinbad is 14 y.o. while Ramla is a year older than Sin. If you're interested in my friend's work, check up her artworks on her facebook page: Solreiru.

Storge ( _storgē_ , Greek: στοργή) refers to natural or instinctual affection, such as the love of a parent towards offspring and vice versa. (Wikipedia)

 **Disclaimer:** Magi and its amazing characters belong to Shinobu Ohtaka. Other OCs (Ramla and Selma) are obviously mine.

* * *

 **Chapter Two Part One – Storge**

 _Exempted from the constraint of time, she was nestled in the cradle of darkness. It was unsettling to be in an unknown yet boundless domain, having the exact definition of nothingness. There was simply her and nothing else. This plain and serene moment was her whole world, an eternal space where she found her quiet solace. She was there for a long time, sinking deeply into the abyss while her consciousness wandered aimlessly around the maze of nullity. This dimension owned her and she willingly dwelled within it. She could not fully claim that she loved this place but she preferred being here rather than somewhere else._

 _Sadly, nothing could avoid changes and she wasn't omnipotent in that pretense too. The day she was forcibly pulled apart from her world came without warning as she helplessly watched her origin grew smaller, while the gap between them keep extending, until it exhibited its true display. Her world was a huge black entity with long and nimble tentacles that were sprouting beneath its limb. The sight was beautifully disturbing as she engraved every detail of that creature into her memory. But its appearance was insignificant to her because nothing could compare the absolute safeness it had provided to her for all of this time._

 _When she first regained her awareness, her vision was flooded with piercing lights that stung her eyes unsubtly. The inhospitality was aversely accepted with her disapproval grunt before her arm shielded the obtrusive element from further damaging her unaccustomed eyes. Her ears were sensitive as it perked up on the hush of infants that were brimming the area she was in. This situation was the complete opposite of where she was before. It was too bright and a bit rowdy. She could hear a chunk of random conversations flinging around until there was one loud exclamation that seized her attention._

 _"Elder! This is wonderful. This girl has such a great amount of magoi! She will definitely be a top controller of Gunud!" the exhilarate voice of a man attracted all of the adults in the room, including her._

 _She retracted her arm from her face before her eyes squinted at the said girl. The girl was pretty as her head was crowned with distinct red mud-colored hair, covering her naked chest smoothly. As if she was sculpted by God, the girl had a fair white complexion with lovely eyes that synchronized with her hair color. She had a gentle feature laid on her face line and a placid smile resting on her cherry lips. She was strangely calm and reserved as her eyes tried to capture her surroundings assertively._

 _Her eyes had adjusted to the lighting when she accidentally met the girl's gaze, locking eyes with her for a few seconds. There was a spark that lit her heart, not the kind that incites conflict but the one that bridges differences. She felt a strange connection with the girl even though they only had seen each other today._

 _The girl's eyes turned soft and she could swear she saw her genuine smile before the stature of a grown-up man buried the girl's presence behind his stuffy white cloak. She was startled by the sudden appearance of a stranger who was obviously scrutinizing her, triggering her annoyance for intruding her personal space._

 _"... What is this? How-?" The man muttered with unbelieving tone while his eyes were still examining her in disappointment._

 _The pressure eventually exceeded her tolerance level and she quickly shunned her face away from the man's aggravating look._

 _Where was she? What was she doing here? She wanted to return back to her comfort zone. She did not like this place even for a bit._

 _Her thoughts were easily dispersed when she heard the approaching sound of metal colliding harmoniously in her ears. She looked up to find an aged tall man wearing gaudy robes and colorful pieces of jewelry, towering over her short figure. Atop of his unruly ebony hair was a glimmering gold crown, a proof of man with high authority. Together with his striking golden staff, he released an oppressive aura around him._

 _"Elder David… This one…" The first man mumbled disheartenedly._

 _"Another defect?" The elder monotonically inquired, eyes glancing sharply at her before his frown deepened._

 _"I'm afraid to say that she's worse than the defects. She doesn't even have any capacity to perform magic." The man declared solemnly._

 _"How impertinent! Did you just imply that Elder David miscalculates and creates a normal useless human being?" His discovery wasn't well-received by the mass as the others joined to defend the honor of their elder._

 _"O-of course that's not true! It might be because the power granted by Ill Illah is still unstable thus resulting in this failed creation!" he immediately added, washing his hands out of the dirt._

 _Why did the name, Ill Illah, seem so familiar to her? She was strangely irritated by that accusation._

 _"At least we have one prominent candidate for guarding one of the Gunud." Another one mentioned their achievement to tone down the potential dispute that might escalate at any time. His statement gave temporary truce among the adults and soon the once derailed topic was revisited._

 _"Then, what do you reckon we do to her, Elder?" The first man shortly paused before completing his next sentence, "Should I dispose of her?"_ _The suggestion was raised naturally as it was common sense to rid of the useless._

 _It was weird how her brain could perceive such hideous meaning. In the first place, it was illogical for her to have this too-developed body that she could use with ease. Shouldn't she be at the stage where she supposed to learn how to walk?_

 _..._

 _Where did she get that knowledge from? Ah, she was too lazy to think about it._

 _...But, were they just planning to kill her? How couldn't they be more obvious, declaring their intention clearly in front of their future victim? Surely they had no sense of delicacy. Well, she guessed that was fine too as long as she could return to her previous world._

 _Her fate was now hanging on a single confirmation that would be uttered by the compelling man named Elder David. However, the answer never came as the silence was far outstretched, fueling her curiosity as to why it took so long over a trivial decision, based on their perspective._

 _She somehow knew that this elder person wasn't contemplating about taking a life and her dislike became more apparent when her eyes met the navy pool that clearly gauging her existential benefit towards whatever slipped into his mind. She could see the curve of his lips twitching up slowly until it turned into a devious smirk that instantly numbed all of her senses._

 _She was convinced that this man was the most dangerous of all._

 _"Interesting…" David chuckled in delight after musing longer than what his followers would expect._

 _"Elder?" A hint of suspense and impatience was mixed in there._

 _"No. I decided to keep this girl. Put her in the surveillance room and ensure she has the minimum necessity to live," He turned around after giving his brief order, abandoning her to the fate she did not desire at all._

 _She nearly protested but her opportunity was stolen when numerous pair of hands were clawing at her shoulders and dragging her out harshly towards the exit of the room. Her strength was not on par with them so her little resistance became a mere child's play to handle._

 _She hated how they separate her from that place. She hated those white-cloaked people who imposed on things against her will. But most of all, she hated the so-called elder who stood at the top of the chain and the one who dictated her fate._

 _Her eyes were boring angrily to David's figure who was now approaching the talented girl._

 _"Arba, that will be your name from now on. Follow me," His words did not contain any sincerity but an obligation to name for convenience._

 _The girl's expression remained unchanged before her head turned to the unsightly commotion near the exit door._

 _"What's her name then?"_

 _David shifted his gaze to her who was harboring strong curses towards him. She was an intriguing one. As per usual, he could easily spot how she and Arba were different from the rest. Both already developed certain emotions just after their creation and having a completely distinct yet authentic personality. One has high aptitude to be a great magician while the other had none. Both also have some sort of intellectual thoughts from unknown origin._

 _Blessed with the ability to read the wave of fates, he could see how Arba would play an important role in his final objective._

 _Yet, he could not see what she would end up being. Not even a glance. How could it be?_

 _He was still unsure if his decision would lead him to dismay or content. She was the irregularity that might impede his goal. But for now, he would like to see and if possible, understood her existence before ruling her out from his picture._

 _"Alevia, that shall be her name."_

* * *

Under the majestic purplish sky, Ramla walked quietly beside the man she just promptly met. Their pacing was unexpectedly in tune considering the huge gap in their heights, certainly owing to the handicap Badr possesses. At most, Ramla's head could only reach the man's upper calf and that portrayed them as a peculiar pair since a 4 years old girl wouldn't be walking beside a grown-up with such precise calmness and constant pace. Children tended to be highly active after all.

Ramla was still quite shocked to witness the scar of his decapitated leg but her empathy won over her restlessness. However, her current situation had made her totally nervous as she was unsure of where to concentrate in this awkward moment. The glittering stars above her started to suppress their radiance, eliminating them to be the object of her interest. Aside from that, there was nothing catchy to settle her sentient mind into, as none of them really tried to initiate a conversation either. Honestly, if she did not restrain herself, she would be openly staring at the man on her left-Badr. Though it seemed that Badr felt uncomfortable under her inspection, so she attempted to behave herself and looked somewhere else. For example, the shadow beneath her feet that mirrored her every movement including how she was holding each side of her towel to lightly brushed her hair dry.

Although, she would admit that her action did not reduce the awkwardness that still lingering in the, presently, less chilly air. Well, at least she tried to distract herself.

 _"Why did you do this in the first place?"_ Marla scolded her, fully expressing her weariness and vexation.

It was true that she did not intend to involve herself with this stranger, especially after Marla warned her abruptly to abort their initial plan. She felt her blood went cold when Marla suddenly told her to stay away from the man, thinking that he might be dangerous after all despite the justification Marla made on her part. She really thought about escaping from the man but the overwhelming difference in their physiques would render her effort pointless as he could easily catch up to her. That was when she realized the unusual proportion of his left leg. It stopped only above his knee, depicting a horrifying scar along its remaining flesh. Ramla was baffled by the injury so her process of thought went disrupted while Marla kept insisting that it was a great chance to successfully outrun the man.

But, it seems _painful_. Together with his drained face and palpable fatigue, her soft spot emerged to take charge of her decision-making. A rash and rebellious decision-as what Marla conceived.

 _Mother taught me to help people in need,_ Ramla tried another excuse that held true for some of its parts.

Though it seemed that her answer was ridiculous to Marla as she quickly retorted sharply, _"He did not ask for help. He is capable to take care of himself! What you see is the product of war. It's normal!"_

 _I couldn't just leave him!_

And that was why she lied to the man, saying that she forgot her way to return. She knew this village perfectly in the back of her mind, even without Marla's guidance.

 _"Under normal circumstances, I would have said that it was very admirable. But I told you to not get involved with him!"_ Marla raised her tone.

Ramla frowned, sensing Marla was not being her usual self right now. Marla always stayed compose and she never got so angry with Ramla like this before.

 _But you said that he wasn't dangerous. And I... think so too._

 _"You don't understand-"_

 _I don't. I don't understand why are you so mad at my action! It's true that I don't know this man nor can I help him with anything at all in the end, but-_

But she wanted to help this man. This adult was different from most of the villagers. She understood that it was because the man had just returned from war. That he hadn't heard about how unnerving her personality was.

Yet, he looked at her kindly as if she was just a normal girl. He worried about her health. Excluding Marla, how long had it been since she was treated goodly? It wasn't very long but funnily, she could not remember. He gave her a warm sensation that crawled ticklishly in her chest, jerking off the winter inside her heart. Ramla was really happy that she forgot how to express that simple emotion, letting her sheepish side to appear instead.

This man was clearly exhausted yet he still agreed to see her home with a charming smile. He offered to carry her stuff, swooping them in one arm without a hitch. She told him that they were dirty and wet but he reassured her with how his attire was clothed with dirt too. He lowered his torch to his waist, setting alight the path in front of them and sharing the heat to her within a safe proximity so she would not be able to touch the fire accidentally while keeping her temperature up at the same time.

His every gesture spoke a handful of attentiveness, more than one person should care to extend. For her, this rare special treatment was very nice to have, once in a while.

So how could she resist helping this man?

 _Please just answer this one question with a 'yes' or 'no'. Is he a bad person?_

Marla did not immediately counter her question with blunt rejection. There was a silence between them before she gave in.

 _"...No,"_ Marla answered reluctantly.

 _Then it should be okay. I don't know what made you so irritable about this whole encounter. But this will be the first and the last. So you don't have to worry, Marla._

Marla's heart clenched painfully upon her sad reply as if the man would also treat her coldly on the next day, like how most of the adults do after hearing the rumor. How sly of Ramla to shush her concern and irritation that way, making her wished that this man's conduct towards Ramla would persist but she immediately threw away such foul thought. It was better if he did change.

The internal exchange between both was finally disturbed by Badr.

"I forgot to ask this, but do you know where is your home?" He embarrassedly questioned her, scratching the back of his head with a silly face. Ramla thought his expression was a bit mismatch to his age though she still found it extremely likable.

"It's along somewhere to the shore," She automatically replied, almost pointed out the exact direction before her other hand clasped the motion down very noticeably.

She almost forgot that she was pretending to not know her way to get back.

"Hmm, we might be neighbors then."

Ramla saw him stretching his lips into a small grin and her heart beats faster in response. The man named Badr was genuinely expressive unlike other adults and that trait was fairly attractive to her. Ramla would not oppose having such a friendly and jolly neighbor next to her.

"That will be nice..." She muttered slowly with a soft smile on her lips before grimacing on her second thought that this man's behavior might change completely once he heard the rumor about her.

 _Or maybe not,_ her last comment remained within hers and Marla's ears.

The uncomfortable silence almost returned until Badr nearly toppled over, breaking the synchronized movement between the two. By then, Ramla noticed how he was sweating copiously. His eyes had turned glazy and his sole leg was trembling hard to keep him standing. Her heart sank in worry before her brain was coping for a solution in that instance.

"Mister, please wait here." She left his side without waiting for his reply.

"Ramla? Wait, it's dangerous to walk in the dark! I'll come with you!"

His plea was ignored as Ramla found herself running faster than usual, leaving the man behind her. If she wasn't wrong, she saw a glimpse of log piles which were idling around in front of one of the villager's house that they were passing before. Since most of the trees have small trunks, they had high chances to fit in the palm of an adult man. She trailed back her route until she discovered the mentioned item, four houses away from her prior location thanks to her sharp eyes that have adapted in the dark and the bit of orange sky that aided her in discerning shapes. She hurriedly dug the stack then measured the length of each stick with her height before she found the approximately right size for Badr.

Ramla was against stealing other people's property but she hoped the owner would pardon her this time or she could tell Badr to return it later once he has his own support tool.

She strongly grabbed the chosen stick with both hands, struggling midway due to its weight, lifting it to her right shoulder before proceeding back to where Badr was. It seemed that the man has tried to chase after her because she reached him faster than what she had predicted.

Badr was perplexed with the sight of Ramla carrying a medium-length think trunk on her shoulder. He hurriedly scooted to the girl before taking the burden off and examining her carefully, specifically to her hands. Ramla's palms were now scraped by the uneven cut of the trunk, making Badr's usual smile withered.

"What are you doing?" He suddenly had the urge to preach the girl for being careless.

Ramla sensed the premonition of another nagging, a very similar sign that Marla produced before she started the act.

"The stick! I thought it might be useful for you to use that," She briskly explained, starting with a high pitch and gradually toning down her voice to a whisper.

Badr wasn't expecting that kind of answer. He thought that this little girl was just being weirdly antique like what most children unreasonably do. Her action was touching to someone like him whose role is a father, but he was still bothered by the girl's reckless attitude.

"Thank you," He bid a heartfelt gratitude before subtly reprimanded her, "but I don't want you to do this kind of thing again. See? Your hand got bruised. Does it hurt?" He slid one of his fingers gently to her opened palm.

"Yes, but this is nothing compared to your injury, Mister." Ramla firmly replied, olive eyes leaking her piece of emotional maturity.

There was a sudden pause between before Marla bluntly commented.

 _"Idiot,"_ Marla critiqued her charade, reminding her to stick with her childish cover.

Ramla's eyes grew wider upon realization and she immediately turned her face away from him, fighting a sense of anxiety that was threatening her calm demeanor. The sound of her heartbeat clamored inside her eardrums, expanding her distress further.

Would he feel perturbed by her weird expression and response? She should have stopped at agreeing that it hurts. It was such a rare opportunity to converse with a kind man and she was ruining it.

"You are..."

His drawl pushed her tension to its peak, making her really difficult to swallow while the sentence was still hanging in the air.

"... a very kind girl," Badr softly concluded.

Ramla stayed still for a moment, letting her mind processed the compliment before she desperately sought the expression the man was wearing. When she met his face, a huge wave of relief washed over her.

His golden eyes were rich and they conveyed real affection towards her. Ramla tightly clenched her arm to confirm that she was not dreaming and indeed, it ached under the pressure. So she let it off slowly while her eyes were still fixated on the man.

It was real. Someone just took her off-behavior positively. That was... nostalgic.

The tiny warm sensation grew rapidly at that moment, consuming her gloomy soul and she felt like she was reborn in a new world, the one that kindly accepts her regardless of any oddities. Ramla immediately scooped her face with both of her hands, covering her teary eyes that would disclose her vulnerable side.

Her reaction was mistaken by the man as something concerning.

"Ramla!? Does it really hurt a lot after all?" He seemed really lost in the current turnabout. Badr has only experienced taking care of Sin for a short while after all. He mostly stood on the sideline while watching Esra pacifying Sinbad whenever he wailed.

"Mister, you are weird." Ramla's voice got muffled by her hands. She kept the closed posture for a while, erasing the overexaggerating reaction she had. She would not forgive herself if someone was to discover what she was feeling right now. It was somehow embarrassing.

Ramla's statement only increased Badr's distraught at an alarming rate. She peeked on his flustered face between her loose fingers, adamantly tried to hold her laughter by the amusing sight. Although in the end, Ramla failed to restrain her sweet giggles from ringing pleasantly in the Badr's ears.

"But I like you, Mister!" She boldly confessed with a loving smile.

Badr flushed, feeling that he was being played around by this little girl. Her cute confession left a huge impression on his mind, and the fact that she has finally shown him her smile without reservation was another plus. All of this had brought him to think that he would like to have a daughter. Maybe he should propose this to Esra. A girl that resembles Esra would be perfect.

After their little event, they resumed their home journey with a light-hearted mood. Both started to talk naturally as if they were close relatives. The forbidden topic of war was deeply buried inside Badr's mind and the wall around Ramla was broken down into pieces. Each decided to put their troubles on hold.

Also, the newfound stick was really helpful to restore his balance thus preserving Badr's strength while walking, letting them immersed in their current conversations.

"So, do you have a family, Mister?" Ramla curiously probed about the man.

"Of course. I have a beautiful wife and a cute son waiting for me at home." His head slightly tilted towards her, gold eyes were twinkling in the dark.

"What does your wife look like?" Her eyes still glued to the man while she pulled down her towel and slung it over her left arm. Her fingers deliberately run through her tangled hair, combing it off with her digit.

"Esra has the most mesmerizing dark amber eyes and the silkiest hair. Her smile can brighten even the rainy days. She also cooks the best homemade dishes and like a great tailor, she could fix torn clothes back into a new brand one." Badr melancholy uttered, voicing his opinion with the most tender tone that Ramla has ever heard from a man. She could feel his homesickness and his yearning to meet his wife to feel her love.

"She sounds so amazing, Mister! How about your son?" The contrast between his and her family soared her curiosity.

"Hmm, I wonder... Sin was only three months old when I last saw him. Though he was pretty much my little replica," Badr mused fondly, eyes glinting with mirth while his whole expression fully revealed his long-awaited anticipation to meet his growing son.

Ramla stared hardly at Badr, enthralled by his affection towards his family. She wondered if every father would regard his family as the same level as him. Marla never mentioned this subject to her for some reasons, probably because of her father's absence and her stagnant relationship with her mother. But that only switched on her inquisitive side to learn more about what family was in general with the slight hope that it could help her understand how her mother really viewed her. Maybe she still wanted to believe her mother might be different from all of those people. They're blood-related after all and there was a saying that blood is thicker than water.

"Do you love your family, Mister?" Ramla started with an odd question in Badr's viewpoint. He would categorize that as rhetorical.

"Of course," He naturally replied within a second, though he looked quizzical with her query.

"Your son too?" Ramla frankly continued without much explanation, thinking that it might be natural for him to love his wife since they must have lived together for some time, much less compared to the time spent with his son.

"Mhm." Badr decided to play along with her despite feeling a bit confused by her bombardment.

"Even though you only have met him for 3 months?" She threw her last test.

"Yes," Badr answered easily, his firmness never faltered.

Ramla was greatly awed by his unwavering replies but her mind objected his irrational proclamation of undying love. She also once thought that her mother would always love her regardless of anything. She was once convinced that their bond would last for eternity.

However, it didn't. Nothing last forever.

"How?" She weakly voiced her confusion, olive eyes now sticking to the bleak ground.

"Isn't it only natural to love your own son?"

Then why didn't she receive love from her mother anymore? In the end, personality, attitude and appearance influenced how people treated someone.

"What if he grew up as someone bad?"

She hesitantly looked at his face to find his eyebrow scrunched a little, pondering her silly assumption earnestly.

"I think 'bad' is quite relative. For example, some people say that white lies are bad while there are also others who regard it as good," He returned his gaze to her, showing unyielding determination before continuing, "even if Sin grew up as the world's villain, I would still love him."

Once again, his answer defied her logic that she gained from her personal experience. Was it really true familial love or was it naivety on his part? She wanted to know.

Ramla stopped on her track, thoughts overpowering her current action. Her abrupt halt was noticed by Badr who was two feets away after her. He turned around to face the little girl, heart filled with wonder and concern about the meaning behind their conversations. The setting orange started to contaminate the gloomy sky, dominating the space with its light color. Under the pale light, Ramla's dissatisfaction shown on her face and she seemed struggling to understand his words.

"Why?" Her frail voice conveyed discontentment towards him.

Ramla paused at his gentle smile as his hair faintly swayed in the dawn sky, giving him its dazzling illumination to cheer the ambiance around them.

"Because that's a father's job,"

At that moment, Ramla truly thought that this person was a wonderful father. She was now curious about her father's existence.

"Or a parent's job to be exact." He added afterward, believing Esra would do the same as him.

Ramla immediately frowned upon his last addition because it would clash with what she had believed in all this time. Her mother stopped loving her and that was the fact.

"No, it must be a father's job then." She obstinately inclined, tugging back her bangs to clear her view rebelliously while catching up to the man.

Badr did not miss her sudden stubborn demeanor that implicitly told her strained relationship with her mother. He wanted to approach that subject subtly but he lost his chance when Ramla spoke up again.

"Do you think all fathers have the same thinking as you, Mister?" Her childish voice returned and he preferred this sweet bell song that rings pleasantly in his ears.

Leaning to the tranquility of the dawn, he decided to drop the foreboding subject.

"Mostly should." He replied carefully this time.

When half of the sun was visible to their eyes, Badr glimpsed on a familiar structure of his home and a great sense of nostalgia surged through his body. Ramla saw the man's posture relaxed and how his face beamed upon the sight.

Badr almost moved in reflex to his first destination before the presence of Ramla reminded him of his other mission.

"Ramla, is this area familiar to you?" He failed to hide his sudden cheerfulness in his inquiry.

Ramla stared at the man wittily though deeply, she was happy for the man to be able to reach his home while hers was still a bit further from this point.

"Ah, yes. I could find my way up to this point. Thank you, Mister!" She gave her best smile to the man.

"Hmm? I'm not leaving you alone. I'm still going to accompany you to your home," Badr noticed her end cue yet he still insisted. He would never let a small girl like Ramla to wander alone.

"That's okay. I will be fine! After all, this is your home right?" Ramla pointed out to one of the buildings that the man seemed momentarily captivated by.

Badr seemed really troubled by her great perceptiveness.

"Yes, but-"

"You need a good rest, Mister!" Ramla found herself semi-imitating Marla's attitude which almost earned a chuckle from the adult.

True, it was tempting to crash into his home and reunite with his family. But his conscience won't ever let him go. Seeing the two of them were quite hard-headed on each resolve, Ramla tried to outwit the man and satisfy her last curiosity altogether.

"Then I would be very grateful if Mister can answer a couple of questions instead of bringing me home," She suggested smartly while her forefinger swinging forward in her expressive motion. Badr found the girl very amusing so he decided to entertain her.

"What are they?"

Ramla suddenly felt uncertain after his permission. After all, her question would remind the man of the war and she wasn't an idiot to not notice the uneasy tension from the man whenever she tried to bring up that subject. Should she really ask or should she just leave it be? After some time, her selfishness won over and her childish feature was gone to be replaced with a serious expression on her face.

"I'm sorry to ask this Mister, but did you just return from the war?" Her voice came out stiffer than she allowed to.

Badr froze upon her new question, surprised by the forgotten topic that was brought up by the girl and also, her intelligence.

"...Yes," His eyes contained wistfulness and his voice was toneless, deviated from Badr's usual cheery voice. That made her more hesitant to shoot her next question but she still did it anyway since it was really important to her.

"Then... perhaps, do you meet or know the man named Asad Meshkenet?"

Badr's eyes widen, betraying the calm mascot that he desperately tried to wear. His hand reached the pendant inside his pouch and clenched it tightly under his grasp. Ramla saw the grief in his expression and gesture. She noticed how his eyes turned solemn so she did not ask for more.

Or maybe, she just didn't want to hear more of it.

She decided not to hope for more. For she was destined to be loveless in her family. A father might love his children no matter what. That was utterly convincing and hopeful. But what was the point if she lost one even before seeing his face?

Badr looked at her heartbrokenly and he regretted that he wasn't a fine actor at that moment. He gritted his teeth in guilt, even though he knew Asad's death wasn't his fault.

"Ramla..." His gentle tone seemed deafening in Ramla ears.

Ah, her eyes felt heavy, again.

Badr was slowly closing in to the devastated girl before a voice that he perfectly knew called him over.

"...Honey? Is that you?"

And that was the opportunity for Ramla to escape from the scene, leaving the man as fast as she could while his attention was grabbed by someone else. Amidst the rising sun, her chest was burning with unknown feelings.

 _"Ramla..."_ Marla tried to soothe her, maybe distracting her from everything so the girl would solely focus on her. It was all futile.

The girl was only half-listening to her other part. She didn't need her consolation or anything. So she only said one sentence to Marla.

 _I'm okay._

She knew she shouldn't have expected anything. She was only getting carried away with the situation.

Yeah, she was totally okay. Because she never met him anyway.

* * *

"... Honey? Is that you?"

His heart almost stopped at that voice, the one he would sacrifice anything for.

Badr was distracted by his wife's loving voice, placing his gaze solely on her wife several meters away from him. Her dark brown hair was neatly braided as how he flawlessly remembered and it always fell on her right side. Her attire style hadn't changed as she currently wore her simple plain white top with her long brown skirt and a white apron that was tumbling from her waist.

Their eyes met and the realization of each other presence trembled their heart in joy, exposing their longing that they buried together until their reunion.

"Esra." He weakly called yet it was so intense.

However, the present matter robbed his attention back. When he flipped his head back, Ramla was gone, leaving him with constricting feeling that gnawing on him.

Was she Asad's daughter?

His mind was completely messed up right now.

Esra came with a soft embrace from behind, calming the distressed state of Badr unknowingly. As if she could sense his turmoil, Esra tightened her hug to give him strength and reassurance.

"Honey, are you okay?" She gently asked.

Badr turned around in response to return her hug. He buried his head in her neck, inhaling her scent for some sense of comfort.

"Esra... I..." Badr struggled hard to form a constructive sentence.

There were so much that he wanted to tell her that he did not know what to say first.

"Ssh... It's okay, Honey. Let's go ba-"

Her words were cut in a short gasp after noticing his lost leg. Seeing her worried expression, Badr hugged her tighter without hurting his wife.

"Esra, I'm so tired..." His voice was shaking tremendously.

Badr was a strong man. He would always present his best in front of everyone. People loved him for his cheerful attitude and never once they saw him broken. But Badr was only a human. He could fall into misery and anger. It's just he never showed it to the public. Only his wife knew him wholly and that's why when he felt the evocative embrace and care from Esra, his self-restraint was gone.

"Mhm... Let's sleep together, okay? Sin is waiting too." Esra softly uttered, patting his back gently while holding back her tears from both happiness and sadness.

Esra supported his weight, trudging along to the front of their home at a slow pace. They felt the gentle ray of light that was touching their back as it was a welcome back gesture to both of them.

Now, their home was complete, having all members present in their modest residence.

Esra closed her eyes for a moment to feel the blissful light of the day before whispering softly.

"Honey, thank you for coming back alive."

Her heartfelt speech was all it needed to make the adult cried silently.

"Welcome home."

* * *

It's been three days since Badr was reunited with his family. He spent those time to bond with Sin, who seemed excited with the new comfortable presence of a father, and also securing a quality time with Esra. To be truthful, he was the one who actually recuperating from all of his anguish and mental exhaustion. It was amazing how their presences were enough to ward off his nightmares. Such is the strength of his family.

Though there was still one imminent problem he would like to solve. The little girl named Ramla was still a puzzle to him.

Badr woke up with a set determination in his mind, exiting their couple's room to the place where they usually gathered to eat together. He spotted Esra, ladling her specialized creamy yam soup to one of the three bowls. His footsteps notified Esra of his appearance and she turned around to meet her husband's face.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Her gentle voice greeted the man and soon he found himself smiling from the ordinary sight.

That's right, this was what he wished for- A simple life.

"How could I not?" He grinned before approaching Esra to peck her cheek, granting his wife a flushed face while her eyes peeking at their surrounding to ensure they were alone.

"Honey! What if Sin was around!?" She scolded him half-heartedly, partly because she appreciated his husband's affectionate gesture.

"But he wasn't here, right?" He laughed playfully, seating himself around the pot that contained the source of their food, or soup to be precise.

Badr sniffed at the appetizing dishes in front of him, taking the bowl that was already filled by Esra before having a spoonful of it. The creamy texture felt right on his tongue and the sweetness of yam seeping to his taste bud. He hummed in delight, gaining a soft smile from Esra.

Same as usual, his wife never failed to deliver delicious food to him.

"Is Sin still sleeping?" Badr glanced at the sleeping room where his son supposed to reside in.

"I think so. It's about time for me to wake him up," She informed while motioning herself to stand from her sitting position.

Badr immediately grabbed her hand, pulling her back gently to her seat. His golden eyes dimmed and that was enough for Esra to catch his signal for private conversation.

"I'd like to go to Asad's home today to give his pendant back to his family," Badr started with a low tone.

Esra was reminded of the time when her husband told her about the expedition, his savior and the unexpected encounter with Asad's possible daughter. She was also really grateful to the deceased for allowing her love to be here with her.

"You should go, Honey. I don't know much about Asad nor was I close to his wife, Selma. But Selma usually travels to the capital to sell her merchandise at certain days. I heard she just returned yesterday. It might take a day or two for the re-stocking before she went back to her business. This is a good chance for you." Esra explained in detail, slipping in her encouragement for her husband to do his deed.

"I see. Do you know where exactly is their house?" Badr needed confirmation to proceed with his plan.

After having extra time to reflect on his fated encounter with the strange little girl, Ramla, he noticed that the girl was extremely perceptive and considerate towards him. Badr concluded that the girl might actually know her way to return because she pointed out the exact direction of the shore while claiming that she was lost. She also knew that Badr had just come back from war and tried to avoid anything that might refer to war. Her intelligence was superb as she could quickly suggest on a trunk to support him walking.

However, her solitariness bothered him a lot. Like how she was first very guarded and closed up, also the deep questions she kept asking to him. But most of all, how was she related to Asad.

"Ah, you just need to go straight from here. It's quite near to the shore." Esra naturally added.

Badr raised his eyebrow upon her quick reaction. Something about it seemed off.

"Is it that common for the wives in the neighborhood to know each other's home? This village isn't that big but it isn't that small either. You also said you aren't close to Asad's wife. But you speak as if Selma's home location is a common knowledge." Badr curiously asked while taking another spoon of his soup to his mouth.

Esra seemed confused for a second before her mouth opened in epiphany.

"That's right. You haven't heard it yet." Esra mumbled to herself, a frown gracing her lips.

Badr looked at Esra knowingly, waiting for her to elaborate.

"Actually... The little girl you met three days ago- Ramla- is famous for two things, good and bad." Esra slowly began.

"First, she is known as a weird girl in a negative sense. She acted too mature and intelligent for her age. We never spot her playing with other children and we could not spot her either lately. Due to those reasons, she was labeled as weird and is avoided by most of the adults in here," Esra ended her first point sadly.

Badr grimaced on a new piece of the information he had just attained. Never once he thought that the sweet little girl he met was being isolated and treated differently amongst the villagers. He had to agree that she sometimes acted too mature but she clearly showed him her childish side.

Then again, he only met her once and only talked to her for less than an hour.

"Wait. How about her mother, Selma?" Badr tried to connect the puzzle although he might already know the answer.

Esra only shook her head gravely in response, carving a frown on Badr's lips.

Now he understood the implication of her questions. She was actually asking whether her parent would love her even if she were 'bad' in the eyes of the public. But her mom avoided her too, making her stubbornly insist that it was a father's role to love his children regardless. This was more serious than he initially thought.

"On the other hand, you have to listen to her song! It was indescribable! Sinbad and I were only taking a detour to our home when we heard an angelic voice brimming the area. It was so captivating that I didn't realize that I was walking towards the crowd of the audience until Sin was giggling happily!" She recounted excitedly, bringing her second point to liven up the atmosphere.

"Ramla sings?"

Well, it made sense if he looked back and remembered how her voice sounded. It was sweet and rang like a chime bell. Yeah, it was extremely memorable.

"The singing nee-chan?"

Both of the adults immediately turned to the source of the voice and found Sinbad walking sluggishly towards them. One of his hand was rubbing his eyes, still in the stupor of his sleepiness.

"Good morning, Sin." Esra chimed happily, feet automatically moved to approach her son before placing a kiss on his forehead.

"Morning, Sin!" Badr also beamed at the sight of his adorable son.

"Morning Mommy, Daddy!" He chirped, suddenly become energetic before prancing off to Badr's side and crushing to the man's stomach.

Badr yelped in surprised, heaving his bowl up with one of his hand while the other catching the purple ball and ruffling his hair messily.

"We're dining, Sin! You'll spill the food and hurt yourself!" Esra immediately nagged at his son's jumpy attitude.

Though she guessed it was a lovely sight to see how Sin was so clingy to Badr. He seemed to adore Badr, sometimes too much.

"You shouldn't trouble your mother, Sin." Badr softly uttered, lightly flicking his forehead playfully.

Sinbad giggled in response.

"Sorryyy!" He drawled childishly, a toothy grin on his face.

Seeing his son reminded him of Ramla, turning his attention back to his initial plan. Today he would bring back Asad's pendant to his place, meet Selma and Ramla, also have a serious conversation with the two. This problem shouldn't be left unattended or it would become fatal. But it couldn't be resolved that quickly and Ramla firstly needed to change her closed behavior so she could interact more with other people.

Yes, she needed a friend.

Badr was staring at the same golden eyes his son possessed while Sin's tiny hands were wriggling to his purple hair.

An idea came to his mind.

"Sin, do you want to meet... the singing nee-chan?" He threw the bait to his own son.

Esra spared a glance to her husband, catching up his intention. It's not a bad idea, Sin would get a new friend too.

Golden eyes glinting with excitement before the owner merrily replied, "Yes! Want to hear singing nee-chan sings!".

Both adults were amused at their son eagerness. They shared knowingly look and nodded to each other. Badr picked Sinbad in one motion before surrendering him to Esra's clutch.

"Good! Stay here with your mother while I go to see- and possibly- kidnap her." Badr smiled secretively, earning his son interest and Esra's fake exasperation.

He could see how this would go. He had always wanted to have a daughter after all.

* * *

 **P.S.** Hmm, somehow the second chapter is broken into two parts. It will be quite lengthy if I continue so I'll stop here for now! That "singing nee-chan" part still bothers me... Well anyway, love me with more reviews (Questions, comments or critics) please :)!

 _ **asagi uchiha**_ \- It's my first time receiving Spanish review. I did not expect google translate to make sense of your review but it surprisingly did! Thank you for commenting on the logical perspective, I really appreciate it! I hope you like this new chapter~

 _ **thanzintay**_ _ ** _._**_ _ **2000**_ \- I'm afraid I don't quite get your meaning. Do you mean Vocaloid like Hatsune Miku xD? Nah, her singing will be her main weapon in a sense but Ramla will still be pretty weak. If I don't answer your question, feel free to give another review or just PM me :).

 _ **Guest (1)**_ \- Woohoo, another chapter ;). Come by and read again!

 _ **Cilenia Alsacia**_ \- Awww, I feel so honored! Thank you for liking my story, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! :D

 _ **Guest (2)**_ \- Someone finally pointed out my bad habit xD! Thank you so much for reminding me. Hope this one looks better ;)


	4. Chapter 2 Part 2 - Philia

**A/N:** Second part is out! There isn't much to say here (I'm being lazy atm)... Oh, I plan to release the next update on Christmas! There will be a special chapter for Christmas... I wonder if I could make it.

There is a part in my story where Ramla actually sings. Please refer the song to "Song of the Sea by Nolwenn Leroy". I only changed a tidbit of the lyrics. That aside, I hope you guys enjoy this sub-chapter :D!

 _Philia_ (φιλία _philía_ ) means "affectionate regard, friendship," usually "between equals." (Wikipedia)

 **Disclaimer: I worship Shinobu Ohtaka for creating Magi (Yes, Magi is not mine).**

 **Edited:** If anyone ever read this, I know I promise the next update will be on Christmas _BUT_ I was really busy with... life, going out with my friends, and my sister just got engaged (so many eventful days that I have no time to write for the next update). Rest assured, because that doesn't mean I neglect my story! I just need more time until I can post the last part of chapter two and the special chapter... (realized it supposed to be _Christmas Special Chapter.._ whatever xD). **TL;DR Yeah, this is just a notice that I will delay the next update, probably up to new year. Sorry for this o3o!**

* * *

 **Chapter Two Part Two - Philia**

 _One would lose track of time if they were blinded, figuratively speaking, in a small room that was obscured from day and night. Such case happened to her as she was only provided with an extremely minimum set of facilities to simply be alive._

 _Like how her stony bed cramped her back until the pain went dull, or how she shoved the tasteless food down to her throat in her monotone routine._

 _Though how her room was free from specks of dust and stinking odor was still a mystery to her. Because she was always there in her confinement and never even once she had cleaned her room nor be permitted to step outside knowing her famous carnal temper. Her visitors were only restricted to the men in white cloak whom she finally realized as researchers. So, she was certain that cleaning was not listed in their duties. She would be laughing if they did._

 _Talking about them, their respected elder had not spared a glance towards her as if she had not existed in the first place. As if she was a trivial matter, needless to be concerned and therefore forgotten._

 _Maybe the elder was mocking_ _her, torturing her in his own amusing way._

 _That presumption irked her so much._

 _What would be the best word to describe her current circumstance as of now? Ironic._

 _Because she did wish to return to that black entity, the source of endless comfort and solitude, which was particularly different from this imprisonment. It was true that this room lacked windows- there wasn't any in the first place- and shunned from lights, a miniature of her first origin. She also yielded her rights of social needs and access to the knowledge of the outside world, albeit too easy. That issue wasn't really an issue for her. In fact, she loved her unhealthy private time, gullible of everything she regarded unimportant- in fact, almost everything._

 _But being treated as a lab rat and being loved constantly were two separate things. In here, she was fixed in the lowest hierarchy, looked down upon and restricted. In that world, her freedom was guaranteed and she was unreasonably spoiled to a huge extent, granting her a special privilege to do anything she wanted._

 _Well... her ideal world did not sound that fancy as one could only sleep in that place._

 _Still, she would prefer being there as a nameless entity rather than being here, named and collared by the man she loathed the most._

 _Alevia. It was a name that she hated and liked._

 _Though she would never admit the last bit._

 _Alevia also had another reason to blame her ridiculous treatment- as what she had numerously proclaimed. This numbing silence and never-ending darkness had developed a very disturbing hallucination or perhaps, a strange illness._

 _She heard someone talking in her head._

 _There was no one in the room beside her but she definitely picked up a woman's voice, which was not hers, booming too clearly in her senses. At first, it started as a mumble then it grew as comprehensible mutters that Alevia could easily grasp..._

 _In a language that she did not speak or hear in here. Then how in the world she could understand or even know it?_

 _She must have gone mad._

 _"Where am I? Who are you?" The woman's soft voice echoed in her mind._

 _It's been days or maybe years, and the hallucination kept asking her the same questions. Her patience was running thin and as much as she would like to silent that thing, Alevia did not know the answers herself!_

 _When the clanking sound of a chain was heard, her focus switched to the door- the object which her eyes laid the most. It creaked slowly upon unseen force, allowing the light to pierce the darkness in her room. A shadow was looming in the light's path, revealing a figure of a man who was weirdly much more shorter in comparison with her previous visitors._

 _Alevia blinked owlishly at the unusual visitor and found a boy who looked too young to be a researcher. He wore a black garb_ _with a matching weird-shaped hat on top of his blaring blue hair, too long and a bit untidy. Her eyes trailed down on how his locks were braided, concealing his pigtail behind his back._

 _She never met this boy before. He probably went into the wrong room at the wrong time since she wasn't in the mood- not like she had ever been in the mood- to talk with this boy._

 _"Are you Alevia?"_

 _Alevia scowled in annoyance, partly because of the name but mostly his condescending tone. It was extremely familiar with_ someone's _._

 _She glared at the boy in return, expressing her dislike and her straightforward implication to disappear from her sight._

 _It took her some time to notice the uncanny resemblance of that man, the one who abandoned her in this room. Did he finally appear in front of her under the disguise of a child? Was that elder trying to fool around with her?_

 _Her glaring intensified at the very same navy pools, the exact replica of that man's eyes, before observing the boy's appearance once again._

 _No, that wasn't it. He was not the elder yet he somehow resembled him._

 _Another realization dawned on her. It was a theory she hardly believed mainly because it was too comical to think that the man had a son. Out of everyone, he decided to have a son?_

 _He certainly had a weird sense of humor. It was not hilarious at all. She would not be playing nice with this boy, condemn his father if he must._

 _"Solomon...?"_

 _Did her hallucination mess with her again?_

 _"... This isn't funny."_

 _Alevia wholeheartedly agreed with her hallucination for the very first time._

 _"Is this... Magi?"_

 _Though it would be very helpful if this hallucination could keep her spout of nonsense to herself. Or else... If she could, Alevia would murder both her hallucination and the boy in front of her._

 _Little did she know that they would be the important figures in her life. Not now, but certainly in the future._

* * *

Today was sunny. Maybe a bit sunnier than usual. Ramla felt her exposed skin burnt under the merciless sun, blistering it to the shade of red. The salty liquid poured down from her forehead, gluing her side locks and bangs to her flushed face. Her casual one piece was drenched by her own sweat in an uncomfortable manner and it affixed her posture stubbornly as she opposed to. With both of her small hands hugging a bucket of cool water, she sat on the soil with her back facing the small bushes.

By no means she was having a little rest. She was not exhausted in the slightest and carrying a bucket full of water from the well to her home could be categorized as a regular activity for her, especially in these recent hot days. Her trouble laid on something else. Or rather, _someone else_ who was loitering in front of her house.

Ramla woke up early just as any other days, starting her day with tidying up her bed and making a simple breakfast for the two residents. She would save her mother's share in the cooking pot, covering its lid, before she did her daily duties. Then she would check up on their supply to note their longevity and plan to replenish more if they were on low stock. That early morning, water was the main concern. The humidity on the past three days was horribly dry so the water consumption rate for everyone had significantly increased. Thus after a quick breakfast on her own, she ventured to the well to secure her home's water supply. The journey was uneventful and she really appreciated that, so it did not take long to fulfill her deed before her feet knowingly took her back to home.

When her humble house reached her sight, she automatically sped up forward before a blur of purple stopped her on her track. Fortunately, the distance between them was still large and the suspected man wasn't looking on her way. Not missing this opportunity, Ramla scurried as stealthily as possible to the bushes near her, popping her head over to observe what _that man_ was doing in front of her house and _watched him entered her house_ to be welcomed by none other than her awaked mother.

She paled at the sight. _What was that man doing there?_

That striking purple hair, the broad shoulder he had, and the unique rhythm he produced when he walked with his stick. Those clues were a straight giveaway. She instantly knew that the man was Badr. But this discovery spelled a huge trouble for her. Because, first of all, Marla had forbidded her to meet with the man again for some sort of unknown reasons. She had also sealed it with a promise. Then Marla simply left her alone since her encounter with Badr, after claiming that she needed _sleep_ \- which was a pretty shocking news to Ramla as she never considered Marla was akin to a human that required rest.

Human was made of flesh but Marla did not have one. Sleep was meant for recovering energy used for the upcoming activities but she thought Marla never exerted that kind of energy since Marla could only talk to her. Did she really need to sleep with all of those facts? If so, why did she decide to do it now for the very first time?

Was Marla actually mad at her and wanted to avoid her after all?

No, Marla wasn't the type to sulk, unlike her.

Ramla sighed heavily at her spiraling thoughts. The longer she mulled over it, the more tangled it became. It seemed that the heat also cooked up her brain, spicing up her frustration while she kept inspecting the stillness of the water in her bucket in the hope to share its tranquility. The relaxation method was not really helpful as the sunray flared provocatively upon her as if it mocked her level of intelligence and cowardice personality.

She had to go somewhere else- possibly a cool and sheltered place- to clear the mess in her head.

Ramla heaved a sigh for the second time while glancing at her bucket. After giving much thought, she decided to sneak around to the front of her house and place her newly brought supply there without alerting the two people inside. So she stepped soundlessly towards her home while maintaining her water to still. She hadn't mastered the art of stealth like Marla had always wanted her to do because it was very difficult to put into action. She had to be extra careful with her every movement and be super observant of her surroundings in order to completely erase her presence which required great composure and self-control. Exactly two aspects that she was poorly proficient at. Ramla still thought this technique was too extreme for a mere survival skill- as what Marla reasoned- but she tried to learn it regardless. She might need it later at some point in her life... like right now.

Ramla placed her heel first before delicately laying the rest in a smooth motion. She controlled her breath while her eyes peeked at her surroundings and devised the next path to take in a split second. She repeated the procedure until the destined place, grinning in delight due to her proudness of being able to walk silently. Completely swallowed by her momentary achievement, Ramla forgot her act of secrecy and dumped the bucket to the ground with a loud thud.

She cringed in regret over her negligence.

"Is Ramla back?" the familiar masculine voice could be heard from inside.

 _No no no no_.

She did not know what to say to the man even if Marla permitted them to meet. Their last conversation had ended awkwardly and she was clueless if he tried to tackle that subject again. Where was Marla when she needed her the most?

Feeling lost on what to do, she reverted back to her specialty.

 _Run._

Ramla could not think of anything that would solve her problem so she departed without further ado, faster than her previous speed. Running had become her forte lately and she was conflicted whether to feel proud or ashamed, though her heart leaned to the later.

She exhausted herself until she was completely out of breath. Her left hand sprawled on the brick wall of a residence while her right clutched on her heaving chest in a steady concord. She switched calmly between exhales and inhales, a reflex she developed from her singing practice with Marla to gather enough air in her lungs. Her head turned back to confirm whether she was being pursued by Badr or her mother but she found no one behind her. She smiled softly in accordance with her heart, expressing the deepest relief that was suppressed in the previous panicky moment.

But she shouldn't have let her guard down.

When she set her sight to the front again, a glimpse of purple head appeared in the left corner of her eyes. He turned sharply from the intersection with a scary tip of balance and bumped into her as the final result. The sudden collision surprised both parties, causing their butts fell flat to the ground and earning a gasp from the girl while the other let out a cry of pain.

Though her pain was subsided by her palpable confusion regarding her current predicament.

Wasn't Badr _at her home_ with her mother just a couple of minutes ago? She was confident that no one was chasing after her.

But if she thought about it once more, the one who crashed into her was much shorter and smaller in comparison to Badr. He also had a different vocal cord as his voice was meeker and lacked the usual masculinity he delivered. Then who was this... _boy?_

Ramla blinked her eyes once and twice, crumbling her expectation of finding a tall man- Badr- in front of her. What she saw was... Badr in a small form with complete and healthy legs.

No, that did not feel right.

She inspected the intriguing boy in front of her more properly this time, noting his small chubby face and his big clear golden eyes that seemed glassy at the moment- probably due to the hurtful wound that the boy received. His hand was rubbing the area between the bridge of his tiny nose and clammy forehead as his short purplish hair swaying with the motion, making the very noticeably strain of hair which looked too incredulous as a mere bed hair, staggered freely in the hot air. That outward appearance was unique compared to Badr's one distinct tuft of purple hair that rebelliously fell to his face. The boy wore a creamy brown tunic with an azure vest on top of it and a white sash circling around his waist.

She remembered seeing this boy before.

Wasn't this the boy who laughed freely after her first singing outbreak?

As if the boy could see through her, he confirmed her suspicion.

"Singing nee-chan...?" He called her weakly, still in the process of pacifying his pain away.

He indeed knew her, so she couldn't be wrong.

Ramla stood up and brushed the dirt from her favorite green tunic before scrutinizing the boy for the last time. She worked her brain to recollect the information she got from conversing with Badr.

 _"My name is Badr and I live in this village though I've been away for two years due to some circumstances."_

 _"Sin was only three months old when I last saw him. Though he was pretty much my little replica"_

Looking at his height and appearance, the boy definitely fit the bill.

"W-what's your name?" Ramla nervously uttered. She once wanted to blend with other children but she lost the interest quite shortly because Marla always taught her to use her time for something else rather than wasting it for something unmeaningful, like playing. In the end, Marla's perception was inscribed to her brain, gaining her the inability to interact with other people of her age.

"Sinbad!" He cheerily replied back, flashing his innocent smile brightly.

Seeing such a positive reaction, Ramla felt complied to return back the smile. She forcibly tugged her lips upward in response.

"I see... Are you okay?" She hesitantly extended her hand towards Sinbad who was still sitting on the ground.

Sinbad excitedly clasped her hand, "It hurts but m'okay!" He chirped, still energetic, while Ramla pulled him up to stand.

She let go of her hold slowly, feeling quizzical of his recovery speed and spirited nature despite just being accidentally hurt.

"Sorry for bumping nee-chan," Sinbad added with a happy tone which was completely devoid of guilt or regret. Weirdly, it did not sound provocative at all.

Ramla scratched the back of her head in discomfort. This was out of her league so she better moved on before she got too involved with the boy who's related to the man that she was trying to avoid.

"Uhm, it's okay. I have something to do... so, goodbye!" Ramla waved a bit with her hand then stomping onwards hastily towards the isolated place where she used to practice her singing.

However, she clearly felt an extra pair of steps trailing behind her wherever she went after minutes of saying farewell to the boy.

It couldn't be what she thought, could it?

She strolled faster with long strides and a quicker pace to test her doubt. Surely there was a sound of a frantic movement behind her, trying to keep up with her in a jog.

Ramla frowned as seconds passed by, noticing the boy still tailing her desperately.

This wouldn't do. Her practice area was exclusive to her and she hadn't had the courage to sing in front of people yet.

Ramla abruptly stopped and true to her prediction, she felt a thud on her back with a surprised exclamation. She sighed for the numerous time today before turning fully to find Sinbad who was looking at her in anticipation.

"...Why are you following me?" She tried to mask her bewilderment.

There was an option to leave Sinbad alone. With her trained physique, she could lose the boy without any hurdles. But Sinbad was Badr's son, someone he deeply cherished. So she braced herself to deal with Sinbad fairly and pushed aside her cowardice. She would try to listen to this boy first then she could decide her next plan.

"Lost daddy on the way and don't know where is home." He said, a bit jumbled but still excited. His eyes sparkled on hers, expecting her on something she could not understand.

Ramla stayed silent for a while, immersing the new information from Sinbad into her mind. In other words, apparently he was sneaking out of his home alone to follow Badr, who seemed oblivious to this fact, to her home and ended up missing his trail.

...

Wouldn't that mean his mother must be looking for him at least?

She was getting into another much bigger trouble unwillingly, with another purple head too.

"Then, I will take you to one of the neighbors here to lead you back home," She decided this was the best way to preserve her aloofness towards Sinbad's family. It might seem a bit sly to transfer her forced responsibility to other people but she had no choice.

"Don't want to."

...

What?

"Umm... your mom must be worried looking for you. The neighbors here might know where you live so they can help you to return to your home," She patiently explained to the boy in front of him, omitting the truth that she could actually do the pleasure.

"Don't want to!" He protested again, this time louder. His cheek getting puffier and his golden eyes stared at her stubbornly.

It seemed that her first interaction with her peer was not the best. Sinbad was too bright and too keen that she did not know how to react back to this type of boy.

"Why?" Her smile faltered to be replaced by a troubled expression on her face.

"I follow daddy to meet nee-chan," He pouted this time while clinging to her attire.

She was baffled on this one. Badr must have told his family about her and his sudden visit. But why?

"Daddy promised to take nee-chan to meet me. He told me to stay but I can't wait." Sinbad elaborated when she did not give him any response.

Did Badr just set them to befriend each other and play together?

Part of her heart was touched by his approach yet the other criticized and doubted his intention. Regardless, she had already decided to cut her contact with Badr so she stuck to the negative feeling in her heart and frowned hard to the gullible boy in front of her.

It was better to act rudely towards this child then maybe he would leave her alone.

"I don't want to meet you." She coldly stated, olive eyes piercing with a brim of hostility to his golds.

The intimidation seemed to be working as Sinbad quickly retracted his hand back. His eyes became teary once more and he started to sniff while his lips quivered.

Ramla's determination began to waver seeing the dejected expression Sinbad put. Not even three seconds had passed and her heart was swallowed in guilt while her conscience was questioning her morality.

"D-don't cry! Strong people don't cry!" She ended up yelling with a rude tone that sounded inconsistent and softer than the previous. Though it did not seem affecting Sinbad a little since his body began to shook, alerting Ramla of the final phase before he really cried.

When she saw no sign of withdrawal, Ramla surrendered to her soft side and betrayed Marla's order.

"Fine. You can come with me." She weakly said, eyes still observing the boy to see him still before looking at her hesitantly.

"...Really?" He slipped in his word after hitching his breath.

Somehow Ramla felt that he was using his childish demeanor to achieve his desire but that was impossible since only Ramla could be that pretentious, right?

"Really. Now, follow me." She briefly replied in uncertainty before continuing her travel to her secret base- her singing practice area.

There was this thought to lead the boy to one of the neighbors instead but she could picture how this boy would make a big commotion of being tricked. And she hated being dragged to the center of attention. So, she concluded that she would entertain the boy only for a while. This was the best course of action, counting out Marla's rule.

Ramla briskly overcame any brown rubbles that seemed growing in quantity once she wandered further in her route. Her muscle must have memorized all the tracks she should take, allowing her to climb to higher grounds without much trouble. She looked behind to see Sinbad having difficulty to keep up with her pace.

If this continued, she was afraid either the boy would get hurt or just lost while trying to follow her.

In the end, Ramla trailed back down to approach him and extended her right hand to him.

Sinbad beamed at the inviting gesture and he immediately slipped his hand into hers. Ramla felt her hand got squeezed with a small force, making her gaze shifted to the connected hands on her right. His hand was almost as big as hers, softer too, and it felt strangely warm- not like the scorching heat from the sun but the pleasant lukewarm sensation.

This was different from how her mom used to hold her hands. In that case, it provided her with a sense of protection. But this one spoke a term of equality- a sense of companion.

It felt nice.

"Can you keep up with me? It's going to get steeper." She warned him while placing her foot on solid ground, kicking aside the small pebbles in the process.

Sinbad nodded eagerly then proceeded to mimic her and clearing his way. It seemed that the boy was quite intelligent and observant in his age, earning him a good impression for Ramla.

Both of them kept climbing steadily to the higher grounds with Ramla leading and lending a hand to Sinbad whenever he struggled with the incline. Their hands never parted, mainly because Ramla wanted to decrease the possibility of Sinbad falling down- more precisely, rolling down- and occurring a heavy injury. After all, this terrain was pretty closed-off and half sheer, making the villagers rarely went into this dangerous area. Thus, it was actually a perfect place for Ramla to seclude herself from everyone.

When they arrived at the top, a vast blue ocean greeted their sights along with its refreshing smell that pleasantly intrudes their nostrils. On the contrary of the dreary and parched land they were standing at, far below of them was a tranquil seawater which was extending endlessly and merged at a single point with the horizon- out of their eyes reach.

Ramla ingrained the beautiful view in her memory. Although it was a daily scenery for her, it never failed to amaze her until this point. She peeked to the boy beside her and found him gawking admirably at the special view she showed him. His golden eyes seemed sparkling with delight, capturing the scenery from all the angle he could have before he started to step forward to gain a better spot. At that point, she gripped his hand harder to halt the boy.

"No standing near the cliff. It's dangerous." Ramla admonished, ensuring their eyes to meet so he would seriously receive her message.

Sinbad seemed to be reluctantly cooperative with her though he still rooted beside her in the end.

"While we're at it, you should also follow my three rules." She declared firmly, facing Sinbad properly to gain his attention.

"Rules?" He faced her while tilting his head in confusion.

"Yes, rules. They are something you must follow and never break," She introduced, pausing for a while to let him comprehend her mean before resuming, "Rule number one: This is _my secret hideout_ so you shall _never ever_ tell others about this location. You also cannot come here again, okay?"

He squeezed her hand tighter in response, expressing his disagreement. With a pout on his mouth, Ramla could feel another headache jabbing to her.

"Nee-chan being unfair! I want to come again next time!" He protested while his free hand was pumped into a fist and jolted up to show his determination.

Ramla felt her long last territory was being pillaged by this boy. She felt it would be immature to fight with Sinbad so she thought compromising a bit wouldn't hurt.

"Okay, but _only when you are with me_. Otherwise, you can't come here. And still, don't tell anyone about this place including your parent." Ramla set her final term.

 _That is only if you can find me_ , she deviously remarked to herself. Now there were two people she needed to avoid at any cost.

Sinbad nodded in agreement, finding her altered rule to be tolerable.

"Rule number two: If you want to do something, you have to tell me beforehand. In other words, no doing things alone because this is a dangerous place." She stared incredulously at Sinbad, not allowing him to retort with anything else except another nod from the boy.

"Rule number three: If you somehow get injured, you have to tell me so I can treat you, and you aren't allowed to cry." Ramla finished her rules in a faint voice.

"Why can't I cry?" Sinbad immediately raised his curiosity.

"Because crying is a waste of energy. It doesn't give you any benefits but exposing your weakness. It's an act of embarrassment."

At least, that was what had been drilled into her by Marla.

Sinbad seemed to be troubled by her explanation. He stared at her inquisitively, searching for a more simple answer.

"Well anyway, that's my rule. You cannot cry." She reminded him once again before dragging him near a big boulder to sit by. Sinbad quietly followed along.

The rock wasn't that comfy but it's better than nothing to cushion their back. Currently, Sinbad was seated on her right while Ramla was just staring off into the distance. Usually, she would just practice her singing once she got here. But today, there was a special guest with her and she never sang in front of other people since that first incident. Though staying quiet was somehow awkward too in her situation with how they were still holding hands and all.

"What are we doing here, nee-chan?" He asked after a moment of long silence.

"...Nothing, just enjoying the view." She reasoned, more to herself.

A dry wind blew past them, brushing their faces gently and bringing the smell of sea closer to them. Sinbad was strangely not jumpy. Instead, he just sat there, enjoying the nature as what Ramla partly did while inspecting her not so discreetly. His stares started to hurt her and she coughed to clear her strained throat.

"S-shall I sing?" She voiced out her own turmoil, a bit unnatural, to let the boy decide.

Sinbad was elated with her idea. He became livelier and his face lit up with joy and huge anticipation. He scooted to her closer, leaving no spaces between them until their shoulders were touching each other.

"Sing! Sing!" His clasped hand swung hers actively like a small pendulum, stopping at a short distance to avoid clashing with the boulder when swinging it back.

Ramla momentarily regretted her decision to break the ice but she did not have the heart to take back her words from the boy. Sinbad being too close and cozy to her were another factors to elicit her discomfort.

"I... don't know what to sing." She honestly admitted while her left hand fiddling with its fingers in anxiety.

"Anything!"

Sinbad's encouragement was supported by the sound of waves, sauntering in fixed tempo and overlapping each other in harmony. The ray of light brightened her view of him with the clear sky and a few cotton clouds in the background. She wondered how the presence of this boy could make everything seemed more animated and alive.

She felt a strong tug in the heart- the same sensation that controlled her to sing for the first time. Her heart battered in an unknown resolve and her mind was surged with foreign lyrics and melody of a song that she never heard before, yet _she knew it_.

 **"Hush now - my story. Close your eyes and see."**

She noticed how his gold eyes twinkled before he interpreted the song literally and shut his eyes.

 **"Waltzing the waves. Diving the deep."**

A content smile was etched on his face. It was contagious as she found herself smiling softly at his gesture.

 **"Stars are shining bright. The wind is on the rise."**

As if it was on her cue, there was a slight breeze stroking their hair playfully.

 **"Whispering words... of long lost lullabies."**

The wind ceased to blow and the sun seemed to dim at that moment, creating the ideal environment for an afternoon nap.

 **"Oh won't you come with me?"**

A grip on her right hand became gentler.

 **"Where the Moon is made of gold,"**

She remembered the yellow spark in Sinbad's eyes whenever he was in his enthusiastic mode.

 **"and in the morning sun, w** **e'll be sailing."**

She felt her right shoulder was becoming heavier as Sinbad slid his head drowsily.

 **"Oh won't you come with me? Where the ocean meets the sky."**

His purple locks tickled her arm and he leaned more to her side.

 **"And as the clouds roll by, we'll sing the song of the sea."**

At the end of the first verse, Ramla saw the boy beside her fell into slumber. His chest was rising and falling slowly with his mouth left ajar. She gave him a look of disbelief, though she could not suppress her affectionate smile. She carefully held his head, supporting his back to move him to her lap.

She did not know why she cared to do that. She guessed her reason did not matter as long as just followed what her heart told her to do.

Now she was going to miss her own nap. Because there was no way she could fall asleep. Imagine what would happen if Sinbad was awake without her watch.

This became much more troublesome than she was prepared for, but she did not find it unpleasant in the slightest.

Feeling blessed by nature, she continued her song in a soft hum.

 _"Singing to yourself won't help you improve much. It is a singers' job to convey their message and feelings through their songs. When the time comes, you will understand the difference between singing to fulfill your ego and singing for the sake of people."_

Sometimes... she hated how Marla was always right.

* * *

 _She missed the light._

 _Alevia chuckled darkly upon her own thoughts. It was her own desire to bask in the dark because the light was not where she belonged._

 _Or so she thought._

 _Alevia was certain that the culprit who changed her track of mind was none other than her hallucination, who named herself as Maylee. Oh, Maylee tried to corrupt her very discreetly. In fact, Maylee did not say much to Alevia except her name. But their thoughts and feelings resonated perfectly without any effort. Alevia knew what May was pondering about though most of it was pretty much rubbish. She labeled it that way because most of May's knowledge and memory were nonsensical to her. Including how May loved to be under the light. That preference seemed to rub on her insistently._

 _Of course, she would try to oppose it. Because it wasn't her feelings._

 _Or was it?_

 _At this point, she could not differentiate it anymore._

 _So she could only sustain herself in the darkness of her room, hoping that one day her yearning would disappear._

 _It did not work out as she expected. On the contrary, it grew stronger. Perhaps it was because she felt herself was changing. Because recently, she would stare at the door that separated her boundary from the outside, wishing for the light to peek into her room._

 _Wishing for a particular boy's visit to her room so she could throw her vexation at him. Never once she thought that she would be fond of their interaction._

 _Wasn't it weird to be attached to a son of the elder she despised so much?_

 _It seemed fate had its own twist as she ended up enjoying their conversation._

 _Truthfully, their first impression of each other was more than horrible. Alevia could see that the boy saw her as a lowly being- rude and very insignificant. She was only a failed subject experiment after all, and that boy was just coincidentally assigned to inspect her._

 _Hell, their dislike was mutual._

 _However, Maylee thought differently. Maylee deemed the boy- Solomon- as someone good. The boy was just currently blind under the brainwash of his father, inheriting his bad traits. Maylee spoke how his upbringing has brought him to become arrogant, looking down on everyone besides him. His mind had become narrow, unable to notice the important things around him._

 _The weird thing? Maylee stated all of them as a mere fact and not as a persuasion or suggestion. It felt extremely stiff and had no feelings involved._

 _It should be noted that Maylee did not tell all of that information actively. Alevia received it without her requesting nor a permission from May. Their minds clicked together, although there were some parts of May's memory that were sealed off from her probing._

 _In the end, Alevia was the one who initiated a one-sided conversation with the boy. It came out as derision which was too provocative, yet was still ignored nevertheless by Solomon. Having her words fell on deaf ears, she tried to supply her own view of his teachings with mixed perspectives originated from Alevia and May._

 _She noticed how his brows were scrunched upon her argument, a sign that he indeed was actually listening to her. Somehow Alevia gained a great sense of satisfaction from that._

 _Even though their interaction ended up as debate instead of peaceful conversation._

 _Still, it was fun._

 _From there, every time she parted from him, she started to have depressing feelings. Maylee named it loneliness._

 _It was weird because she never felt lonely before. It must be a dedicated curse for her from Elder David through Solomon._

 _If so, he had successfully baited her to fall into his trap._

 _Her anticipation to meet her specific visitor escalated when she had an additional guest who came with Solomon after his subsequent visits._ _It was the red girl who she met the first time when she was dragged into this world. Arba was her name_ _, Maylee told her implicitly. And from her source, Maylee regarded Arba as a villain._

 _Of course, Alevia did not believe her once again. Maylee did not persist on the subject as usual as if she was just a bystander._

 _Arba was always listening to every word Alevia spouted while Solomon either opposed, denied or ignored her statement. She liked the girl even before they had conversed with each other._

 _That's right, from the very first time, Alevia had a sense of camaraderie with Arba. She was like an elder sister to her._

 _It took time but the relationship between the three of them had improved a lot, although no matter how hard both Alevia and Arba tried, there was still an unbreakable wall between them and Solomon._

 _That changed when Solomon claimed that he met a huge exquisite dragon. He excitedly told his meeting with her and praised her as the wisest creature in this world. The dragon seemed to break his final defensive wall, opening up his mind and indeed, he became brighter and more approachable. Alevia liked the new Solomon. She and Arba shared a knowingly look and carved a genuine smile on their face._

 _Solomon had broken from his cage._

 _Everything went so smooth as their visits increased. The initial reason to visit her- observing her growth as a research subject- was forgotten. No one had explicitly declared but they knew they were friends. They started to talk about future and soon, more serious topics were brought up. One of them was her circumstance._

 _"So Alevia, ever think of escaping from this dreary room?" Solomon asked lightly while laying on her steely bed, staring at the dull ceiling above him._

 _Arba seemed quite surprised by his sudden inquiry while Alevia was glancing back to both of her visitors. She just noticed how they were trying to be considerate to her for all of this time._

 _Regarding his question, she actually never thought about it._

 _"Honestly, no. It's true that it's boring as hell without both of you here. But this room is pretty nice. Darkness is comforting too, although..."_

 _She belonged to the light. She should have stood under the spotlight, at a huge stage, and in front of her large audience._

 _Alevia did not complete her sentence because that thought was otherworldly. Curse Maylee._

 _Arba chimed in to fill her missing words, "You belong to the light."_

 _Her surprised expression was apparent to Arba and Solomon. They gave her some time alone before continuing._

 _"If you had the chance to flee from this place, would you take it?" His voice was deeper than usual and that made Alevia nervous._

 _What was he trying to imply? Abandoning this place? What would become of her?_

 _"I don't know," She finally uttered in uncertainty._

 _Both her visitors only stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate as if they had already known that there were more she would like to say._

 _"You see, if I ever get out of this place, I am not guaranteed to stay alive. I don't have a family, a home or anything really. And as pathetic as it sounds, I'm not... confident if I can take care of myself. In conclusion, I'm a mess." She ended up berating herself with a low voice._

 _Her ignorant side had become fruitful in the worse way. She knew nothing of the outside world and for the first time, she was afraid of the unknowns._

 _Arba glanced at her, a bit wistful, while Solomon's gaze never shifted from Alevia. His oceanic eyes seemed to ponder deeply on something she did not know. After some time, he closed his eyes slowly, letting a moment of silence to fill in the room before Arba once again cut in._

 _"Young Master, it's already the time." She reminded Solomon of their upcoming schedule, giving Alevia an apologetic look which she returned with a small smile._

 _"Already?" He sluggishly straightened his body to a seating position, pushing down her bed with his hand, then stared at Alevia again._

 _"You deserve better than this, you know?"_

 _Alevia took that as a mockery._

 _"Get out from my special place, Young Master." She purposefully emphasized the last part with a grin on her face._

 _That gained annoyance to the boy._

 _"I told you not to call me that, Arba. Look at her now." He changed his focus to his attendant, blaming her for her polite demeanor._

 _Both girls only chuckled in return. It felt really good to have an accomplice._

 _Ahh, how she could not wait for their next visit after this._

 _"See you later?" Alevia asked sheepishly._

 _She would miss them._

 _"See you later." Both of them echoed at the same time, giving her reassurance of another meeting._

 _Alevia watched their backs as they proceed to the door, giving her last glance before their views were blocked by the door._

 _As soon as they were out of her sight, her eyes dimmed in the dark. This room weirdly felt empty after their visit._

 _It was a pity that their time was limited. But it was more pitiful for her to not decide an exact deadline for their next meeting._

 _Because after two years of waiting, they never came back._

 _Alevia missed the light that it started to hurt her._

* * *

 **P.S.** And we're done with this part two! I have to announce that there's actually a part three- let's hope this will be the last part- of chapter two. It actually slipped into my mind to make these parts as separate chapters but after further thoughts, I decided to keep it this way. Mainly because this chapter tells how Ramla found her place and opened her mind from her encounter with Sinbad and mostly, Badr. Next part will give a closure to her issues and how she finally gained a **_Sense of Belonging_** in her world! Side comments aside, please forgive me if any of you feel this part is shorter than my usual updates (yes, it is) because I just got back from my first trip and I've been coughing non-stop since weeks ago (excuses). That's all I guess! Don't forget to review, please?

 _ **Asuka1920**_ \- I hope you find this latest update to your liking ^^

 _ **Guest**_ \- Woohoo! Another update! I'm really glad there is at least one person who likes the conversation between Badr and Ramla xD. Thank you very much! Here is the update, please come by and read again!


	5. Chapter 2 Part 3 - Sense of Belonging

**A/N:** Hello readers! I hope you all have been doing well in this new year (You are late, author). I'm really sorry for the super duper late update as this year has been so hectic for me (helping my parent with work and finding official job related to my degree). But anyway, I finally updated the last part of chapter 2. It came out pretty lengthy and maybe dragging for some people though I still hope you guys enjoy it!

Thank you for the reviews, fave, follows in my absence! It gives me encouragement to my real life! Unfortunately, I won't be publishing the Christmas Special due to... it's out of season already T-T so I will post it when the time is right! I plan to post Valentine Special instead for tomorrow (hopefully I can finish this on time but again work work work). Please stay tuned for that!

Lastly, I won't be able to determine my next update during this time. Work has stolen all my supposedly free time and ironically, my sickness contributes a lot to this chapter (because I got a day off for that lol).

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Magi except my own OCs.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2 Part 3 - Sense of Belonging**

 _There were various ways to count how many days had passed. Sunrise marked the beginning of a day. Moon lulled the man to embrace the end of time. Sometimes, tedious and monotone routine spelled a cast to man's inner clock, permitting them to know how many hours were spent in their activity. For example, they knew it was already time to work by the time they rose from their sleep. They counted it as a new day to live._

 _Alevia did not have those luxuries. She was always sunk in the pool of darkness and her sleeping habit did not have any pattern. She wasn't aware whether she rested or not. It was pretty normal since the sight when she opened or closed her eyes remained identical. It was black and it was always that color. Hence, it was no wonder that she could not tell the time. Adding to the fact that she had a sleeping disorder, Alevia had no means to estimate the current time or even day or night._

 _However, it was not all futile. Alevia might not be the intellectual type but she could become one when the circumstance arose. Her feelings to reach those who were special to her had built a new personification. A scary one, if one should admit. Being in a constant state of hope and doubt regarding the return of her two precious people had snapped her in an unimaginable way._

 _Half of her sanity was crippled._

 _A grating sound of wall was reverberating in her room as she kept carving into the wall with a pointy shard of her sturdy wooden plate. She forced the edge to dig the hard partition and scratched it vertically, forming another short line after the previous ones. If viewed from distance, her artwork displayed an organized collection of vertical lines which neatly queued one after another._

 _"That makes the 194th visit from those stupid researchers..." Her whisper garnished the eerie atmosphere in the room._

 _"Do you know what it means, Maylee?" Alevia questioned with a louder voice while tapping on her markings on the stone wall._

 _Maylee remained silent, lacking words of comfort to utter. Sensing May's disaffection, Alevia scoffed at her in return._

 _"That means it's been approximately two years and eight months since they last visited me!" Her voice boomed thunderously into her room while her feet stomping on the dungeon_ _floor- the exact design consideration with the wall of her room- in synchronization with her stressing tone._

 _This was her way to determine how long since the last time she met Solomon and Arba by calculating the frequency of the researchers' inspection. They always came six times per month as what Arba had leaked to her in one of their meetings._

 _Maylee was disoriented on how to react to the girl. She felt sympathetic as she's the one to witness how Alevia gradually changed from her usual self. Her loneliness, desperation, and impulsiveness had driven Alevia to this state._

 _"They are suuuuuper late!" Alevia practically screamed, throwing the sharp wooden piece in her hand to the metal door and let it shattered to smaller fragment in result._

 _Her ruckus obtained murmurs from the guards who were assigned outside of her room since her behavior turned aggressive._

 _"She's doing it again. Talking to herself and throwing the pieces of her food plate to the door, even though no one tries to disturb her."_

 _"Hah! Are you referring to those incidents where she assaulted the esteemed senators from their regular visits?"_

 _"Yes, she was being impudent to throw her plate to anyone who opened the door. Who does she think she is?"_

 _"Why is The Elder still trying to keep her despite all of this?"_

 _Alevia giggled delightfully after hearing their responses, sending chill towards her guards. They immediately went quiet and decided to ignore her crazy stunts._

 _When silence pervaded into her room once more, she skipped slowly towards her bed before crashing into it. Alevia stilled for a while, mumbling incoherent words then flipped herself to face the ceiling._

 _"Hey, Maylee..." She quietly muttered, voice as low as a whisper._

 _Feeling a dread of anxiety was eating the girl, Maylee decided to respond to her in a gentle manner,_ _"Yes?"_

 _"Do you think they forget about me?" Alevia voiced the same doubts in her heart, to the same person, and for the countless time._

 _"I don't know," Maylee answered- the same answer she gave to Alevia numerous times before- without hesitation._

 _"Heh, can't you just... lie for once to cheer me up?" She chuckled sarcastically, attaining more wound to her heart. It had already been scarred and they made her bleed. But her hope forced her to endure the agony, in a chance that 'they' would indeed come to visit her again._

 _"...Isn't that pointless? You're going to know if I lie anyway." Maylee argued, albeit too weak._

 _"That's... true." She mumbled disheartenedly, eyes looking past the ceiling above her in wonder._

 _"Why- What's the purpose of my life?" Alevia painfully uttered while her hand moved to cover her eyes- a precaution if she ever submitted to her grief._

 _"I'm not sure. That's for you to find out." Maylee flatly returned, a bit pensive._

 _"Living is so... painful, and troublesome." A choke threatened her words and her vulnerability was completely exposed in that moment._

 _Maylee observed the host of her mind, finding a tad of melancholy overwhelmed Alevia, which affected her too. It was extremely troubling how Alevia's mood and feelings could easily influence her. She sighed internally at Alevia but there was a compassion inside her. In fact, she could relate to her previous statement perfectly._

 _"...I know right." Maylee wistfully agreed and Alevia misunderstood her implication as May's deep wish to live once more. Because Alevia knew that Maylee had died, though why and how was still a mystery. Even Maylee's sole existence inside her head was an enigma itself._

 _"Can't you just take over my body and live in my stead?" She proposed lightly, hoping Maylee would replace her and bore the pain of loneliness in her stead. Alevia knew that her proposal was impure and wretched, but she still suggested it._

 _There was an ironic laugh ringing in her head which surprised the girl. It was the first time Maylee ever laughed, even though it was plainly joyless._

 _"No, thank you. My life is over and I don't have any intention to live again." Maylee showed a glimpse of her dark thoughts, alerting Alevia to dismiss her silly proposal. Yet, Alevia was intrigued by the seemingly forbidden subject._

 _"Why?" Alevia provocatively inclined, setting a tense atmosphere between them. Having a superb self-control, Maylee sealed her mouth from retorting with ease._

 _"You're no fun. Being secretive and all," She commented bitterly after failing to gain a response from May._

 _"Although, I know that you're not from this world."_

 _Maylee smiled grimly at that declaration. She tried to jumble her thoughts but it seemed that Alevia had predicted her movement._

 _"I know it. You try to distract your mind so I won't be able to read it. Sure you have lots of secrets that I cannot discover- at least not yet. But you're really not from this world, aren't you?" Alevia felt a momentary triumph over her before Maylee decided to open her mouth._

 _"It seems so. Though I highly suggest you not to probe around anymore, especially about my secrets." Maylee uttered lowly in a dangerous tone._

 _"You're being stingy... Now that I think about it, you seem to know Solomon and Arba quite well. How so?" Alevia solemnly questioned May again, this time a bit defensive as she felt suspicious about her vast knowledge._

 _"How to say this... Because they are just some characters in a story?"_

 _"Don't joke with me."_

 _"I wonder about that. I will say this once again. It's better if you don't ask me about it. I do it for your sake too." Maylee ended their open debate, emphasizing her words with a finality._

 _Maylee knew how the fate would lead Solomon and Arba into- A fixed tragedy caused by betrayal from both sides. She knew where the story would go on and the fact that 'Alevia' was never mentioned or appeared in Solomon's resistance army had indicated two possibilities. Firstly, she might be a minor character who died without ever breaking free. It was impossible to deliver this upsetting potential to Alevia. She might decide to end her life if she heard any of this._

 _Or secondly, she was an addition- an external foreign element- to the story. Unpredictable and had the capability to change 'fate'._

 _But Maylee wasn't sure if this was a good news either. In the first place, wasn't that all a mere fantasy?_

 _"You're being suspicious... You're distracting your thoughts again. Are you hiding something from me?" Alevia raised another suspicion to her._

 _Maylee just hummed arbitrarily._

 _"Fine. You're not going to answer anything, aren't you? Then just answer this one. You seem to know a lot. So... Will they ever come back for me?" She darkly brooded while closing her eyes as if it could shield her from the truth._

 _Alevia could picture the unreadable smile on Maylee's face, her voice sounded flat and rid of any emotion._

 _"Maybe."_

 _Because Maylee wasn't sure about that too._

* * *

Fresh from his morning nourishment intake and a promise to realize, Badr went off to Asad's house by following Esra's guide. He strolled towards his destination, receiving the searing sun's blessing upon him while he was lamenting the words to speak and how to give his condolence to Selma. His mind kept struggling along the way until he arrived at the said place that fitted Esra's description after his careful observation. He stalled the fateful encounter with Asad's wife, circling in front of their residence to finalize his speech arrangement before his repetitive motion alerted the woman inside the house.

"...Ramla?" A strained voice seeping out from the entrance. It sounded stiff and unnatural for calling out a family member.

Badr's body straightened up in reflex, hands kneaded on his rasped cane while his eyes trailed to the source of greeting. There was an incoming sound of footsteps from inside, approaching softly towards Badr who was standing on the outside. Their view was still obstructed by the intricate design of Selma's curtain, tumbling down smoothly to separate the residence's inner area from the outer. Badr was preparing himself for the upcoming meeting with Selma between the interval, but his target never stepped out.

It seemed that the woman had deliberately stopped a few inches away from the door, framing her incomplete shadow to the parched ground. Her black reflection was utterly visible to Badr and it made him notice of her presence, along with the minor detail that most people would normally neglect.

Selma had purposefully kept her distance from who she presumed as Ramla, by hiding her face behind the curtain. Though, there was something amiss in spite of all the seemingly cold gesture Selma emitted. It did not hold animosity or fear but a mix of sadness and confusion.

Badr did not try to correct her or give any sort of reply to her. He took the benefit of silence to pique the woman's curiosity, inviting her to personally come out and see for herself whether it was indeed her daughter or someone else. Taking the bait, Selma slightly nudged the curtain up while her head was snooping out between the curtain's slit. Their eyes met and each pair was now assessing the other. Badr's eyes fell to her peanut colored hair which reminded him of a certain infant he met three days ago, although they did not share the same eye color. Selma had a long wavy hair that seemed to reach her back and a sunburnt skin attained during her travels and activities in the capital.

"Who might you be?" Selma finally inquired after failing to recognize her visitor.

She went out pass through the article, fully revealing herself in honor of etiquette. She wore a discolored fern garb with a knitted khaki shawl that rimmed around her shoulder, adorning her simple attire with a golden triangle pattern on her shawl. It complemented nicely with her honey eyes and tanned skin.

Badr took in her skeptical eyes that were masked by her merchant's smile. Her voice reeked professionalism and confidence- two contrasting characteristics compared to her previous tone. In accordance with Selma's attitude and his true-self, he presented a refreshing smile to Selma.

"Sorry to disturb you. My name is Badr. I also live in Tison Village together with my wife, Esra. Our house is not that far away from here." Badr friendly introduced himself, hoping to lessen her suspicion of him.

Selma's face lit up when Badr mentioned his own name, earning a confused look on his face. He swore he could see Selma glimpsing to his amputated leg for a second before her eyes exuded a warm hospitality.

"Excuse my rudeness, but are you the Hero of _that expedition_?" Selma found it difficult to contain her enthusiasm. A form of admiration and proudness were glinting in her eyes.

Badr was perplexed with her sudden positive treatment and how his saga had spread at the speed of light. He did not find the commendment worthy of him, but a straight rejection would be rude. So he bore in mind that Selma meant goodness unlike what his conscience had always interpreted, and nodded gingerly.

"As expected, you fit the description too well! I've heard of your bravery and achievements from many mouths in the capital! Please, come in!" Her excitement was accompanied by a smooth reception while she motioned Badr to take their conversation inside. As he was inclined, Badr politely ambled into the residence while Selma was following him from behind.

A faint scent of newly produced linen tickled his nostril, arousing Badr to glance at those materials which were neatly stacked in an array that was expanding from the left corner of the room. Across of them stood several barrels, a wooden shelf to harbor dining utensils and a few foreign ornaments that were clinging to the wall. Dawning on the square layout of the room and its scenery, Badr instinctively walked to the reserved space at the center. His feet swept against the knitted carpet on the floor. It dyed the place with a bit of red maroon, insinuating the ambiance with elegance.

"Please make yourself at home." Selma nodded at his disposition, allowing Badr to sit on the regal carpet.

This whole occurrence felt slightly off to Badr because it's been so long since he last visited someone else's home. Never mind taking the role of a guest, he had only been back for three days.

"Pardon my intrusion." He courteously declared, reliving his rusty manner, before seating himself on the red tapestry.

His action gained approval from Selma and soon, she excused herself to disappear into another room. Losing the subject of his interest, his eyes switched to the arrangement of the room. It was nicely decorated- not too excessive nor flat- and it emanated a homely atmosphere, just as his home. Though he should acknowledge the lack of visual aesthetic at his place- not that he fancied decoration either because he preferred simplicity in that case. There was also one aspect that both of their houses commonly shared. They had the same peculiarity of tidiness, specifically in object placement- like how all the linens were folded in a grand fair and purposefully isolated from the water barrels. He was expecting a rather messy display, considering Selma was frequently traveling to the capital for her business and only came back once in a while. Yet Selma's home was very well-maintained. She must be remarkable at handling housewife chores.

Badr's attention was swiftly grabbed back to Selma when a savory smell invaded the room. His eyes trailed to the two bowls which were carried by Selma in different hands before one of it was ushered to his way. With a grateful smile and a hidden protest from his full stomach, he took her kindness while mumbling a 'thank you' in return.

"I hope you don't mind accompanying me to partake in this simple breakfast," Selma seated herself across Badr in a graceful manner.

"Of course not. I could not resist after taking in such a delightful aroma." Badr tried to reply naturally as to hide his stomach's discontent.

"I'm glad to hear that. Please, dig in!"

Bearing the heavy expectation from Selma's honey eyes, Badr played his spoon to twirl his browny broth before shoving it into his mouth. Surprisingly, it felt pretty light despite its thick texture. It also had a unique salty flavor- a refreshing taste from all the sweetness he savored from his wife's cooking this earlier morning.

"How is it?" He looked up to see Selma was observing his facial expression, letting her meal perfectly untouched.

"This tastes good! A perfect dish to start the day!" He earnestly complimented the food while also giving himself the ingestion time he needed at the same time.

Selma smiled a bit wistful in response then gazed down on her own share. She dipped herself a spoon and sipped the lukewarm broth slowly.

"I... think so too," Her quiet murmur and sad look failed to go unnoticed by Badr. He wondered what she meant by that.

"Ah, right! Where is my manner... I haven't introduced myself, have I?" She quickly switched to her usual mode before Badr having a chance to question her.

Now it was his turn to be anxious about the subtle way to drop the heartbreaking news.

"Actually, I know you from my wife." Badr tried to set his own conversation pace.

"Oh... really? I hope it's not about something bad." Selma's smile faltered to worry in the process.

"Far from it. I've heard that you are such a talented merchant, having countless experience of trading in the capital. To have a stable income and having done so independently, that's such a great accomplishment. Even I come to admire you." He smoothly praised her to establish a good standing between them. His eyes pried the woman to find her slightly blushed face from his unexpected attacks.

Clearing her throat and taking another spoon of her meal, Selma regained her composure and countered, "Oh my, thank you. To receive such high regards from a hero, I feel very proud. Though, I'm very certain that compared to a great hero like you, who managed to turn the tide of war and brought forth victory for our kingdom, it's clear who is more amazing. After all, I am just a humble merchant whose responsibility is to feed my family, while you put your life on the line for this kingdom."

Badr gulped nervously upon the flattery exchange, feeling discomfort by her dedicated praise. Maybe because it was his first experience to be regarded as a hero and be complimented on his heroic deed. Sure it felt nice, but he just wasn't used to it. Moreover, the gap between their flattery skill was way too huge. Selma must have polished her pleasantry skill from being a merchant.

"Thanks... This is more embarrassing than I thought," He mumbled sheepishly, "but I think the 'hero' title is a bit too exaggerated for me. After all, I have lots of people backing me up- they're all heroes too, alive or not." and ended his statement solemnly. Badr's carefree attitude wilted whenever he reminisced his fallen comrades. Their names and faces were still vivid in his mind- never to be forgotten by Badr.

Selma stayed neutral during his whole opinion, or at least she tried to. Her lips was slightly curved down upon his downcasted reaction. She might not understand the feeling of loss, but she thought Badr should be more confident about his great feat. It was no mere subjective complimentary on her part, the soldiers and nobles in the capital had heard of his deed, and they had acknowledged him. He was the Hero of Parthevia and that was not a shabby title that anyone could look down upon.

"I see. I apologize if I was being too inconsiderate," her eyes softly laid on his face before a trace of firmness emerged in, "Though please take it in mind that you should have taken credit for something you really deserve for. Not everyone could do what you did. I don't know the difficulties you have faced, but take some pride in what you've done for this kingdom as a lot of Parthevians were saved by your action. I think your... comrades will agree with me."

Each of her words struck deeply into his heart. They were refreshing, a form of consolation and a courage to look forward. His golden eyes were glimmering in contemplation, absorbing Selma's unique perspective compared to his mind.

"... You are right." He felt some weights were lifted from his shoulders. Three days was the time he spent to search for an answer to his own turmoil. He had been thinking whether it was okay for him to gain respect and rewards from those hateful wars that had stolen numerous lives of his friends. Surprisingly, he was enlightened by someone he just met today for a different agenda. A sad, yet necessary encounter.

Seeing his relaxed posture, Selma shot him a gentle smile. A serene moment was build between the two from the unintended deep conversation. Badr hated to bring it to another level, but it was inevitable. He had to do it.

"Selma, do you mind listening to my problem for a bit?" His face told the severity of his next topic.

Selma was confused by his sudden seriousness. The first question that had been plaguing her mind hadn't been answered yet- What's the purpose of his visit?

"Please do so." She nodded in response.

There was a moment when Badr's eyes flickered with indecision and grief before all of it was swallowed by his unreached smile.

"People speak of me as a hero... And as much as I want to savor in the glory, I feel guilty for accepting it in exchange of my comrades' lives. You told me that my attitude was... off, and I should think positively about it. I agree because you do have some points, but I guess it was not that easy to put it in practice. Maybe... because in my mind, I honor them as heroes too- at least, they are for me- while they're unknown to people. And amongst all, there's this particular person whom I owe my life to." He treated each of his word with clarity and carefulness.

Discerning on the sign to not interfere yet, Selma remained silent in her wake. Her face still showed neutrality and Badr felt a bit at ease for that.

"The expedition, I'm sure you've heard of it before. It isn't as gallant as you might hear from other people. All of my comrades died before I even realize what had happened. I lost one of my legs during that incident too. True, I managed to fulfill the mission alone- with _desperation_ really. But realistically, I should have died at that place... It's still scary whenever I look back on it, even until now. Yet, here I am, alive because a certain man had saved me- my hero." He paused after his last sentence, casting a beckoning look to the owner of the house- as if he wished her to catch on the subtle hint beneath his words.

If Badr did not pay careful attention, he would miss how Selma's eyes winced a little upon the delicate clue. She seemed to mull over her assumption, half-questioning its truth, and her uncertainty was displayed in her straighten lips.

"I lost my consciousness when I was saved so I didn't get a look at my savior. But people in the main camp, who know him, called him Meshkenet." Badr added the final piece.

Selma's eyes widened in realization as she smiled tenderly at the name. Her face softened, yet there was a conflicting feeling gnawing inside her. Listening to his tone, this subject conversation, and every gesture he spoke, they all foretold somber news. A depressing thought harassed her mind. It was something out of the blue, unthought by her optimist mind, and a forbidden subject that was not to be broached.

Asad's whereabouts and his well-being.

Nevertheless, she strongly fought off her negative presumption.

"At first, I don't know the man. But after some digging, it turns out Meshkenet is his last name- something that I have long forgotten. Because in some great coincidences, his first name is Asad and I personally know a boy named Asad Meshkenet from Tison Village. He is my childhood friend and we were quite close back then. That's right, your husband had saved me. He saved the life of what people called the Hero of Parthevia. Asad... is just that amazing." Badr fondly talked about his savior, though his minuscule deep voice indicated something _grim_.

A nervous chuckle slipped from Selma's mouth, "Meshkenet was just a family name that he made up. I-I'm glad that he seemed to be doing great things... He _promised_ after all. Is this why you pay me a visit? Informing me how he's been doing well?"

Badr's heart ached when hearing how Selma's voice was trembling at the end of her question- trying to bury all of her bad thoughts that might be a fact in the next second, utterly depending on his words. As if his words would simply kill the hope in her eyes.

She knew. She knew where this conversation would lead into. Her question was not really one. It was a plea for Badr to dispell a truth- a painful truth, a deed that even a hero could not fulfill.

Between the two, he had to be the strong one- both in physical and mental state. Selma needed to know. She deserved to know. Hanging her on a false hope was just cruel so he should spill it, the sooner the better. Yet, he couldn't find the heart to do so, neither he could outwardly lie to her. And that's why he didn't say anything.

Though his face betrayed the confirmation that Selma ought to hear.

In the next second, Badr could see the light in her eyes dimmed and even if Selma didn't straightforwardly express her grief, it was evident on her face. Her complexion immediately went sickly and she seemed to bit the inside of her mouth, rooting her for not simply breaking out in a sad tantrum in front of someone. But when it became unbearable, Selma cast her face away from her guest so she could allow a few teardrops to slip by.

After catching Selma's figure slightly shook in anguish, Badr decided to look away and give her the little privacy she deserved. He couldn't leave yet, at least not until he delivered Asad's keepsake to her.

The suffocating silence stretched on while both were preoccupied with their own thoughts. They did not count how long they had spent in silent, but when Badr stopped hearing her sobbing, he met her face once again.

"I'm sorry." His voice was low and drained from any jovial tone he usually had.

Selma focused back on her guest to see a very familiar silver pendant was pushed slowly to her side. It still looked the same, maybe a bit stained with corrosion and dirt, yet it still reflected lights beautifully.

It was an elegant pendant, designed to be as similar as possible to those which were worn by the royalty. On her first look, she immediately knew Asad would like it. So she bought it with her money and had an artisan to carved his name on the piece. The pendant was magnificent and she loved it. But she loved it more when it was dangling on its owner, glistening in the warm exuded by a man she loved the most in this world. The joy on his face when he first received it, was something she would always remember.

Now it shall remain ownerless forever.

Selma briefly reached the precious thing and clasped it in her hands.

"I... didn't manage to meet him after that. There wasn't anymore chance for me to express my gratitude to him. So today, I come to return his belonging to you and say that... Asad was a good childhood friend to me, a great man who served this kingdom, and a hero who had saved my life. I am extremely grateful for everything he did for me and I swear I shall return his kindness to his family." He exclaimed with a burning conviction.

Selma smiled weakly at his declaration. She replied softly with a hoarse voice, "Thank you".

That was supposed to be the end of their conversation. Considering the mournful news he disclosed, together with Selma's shrunken demeanor, it was common sense to let the woman grieved and hoped that time would alleviate the pain in her heart. His other purpose of visit could be postponed for another time as this wasn't a proper mood to discuss about Ramla. He did not catch any sight of her either, so he might as well leave.

Fate dictated otherwise.

Because when he was ready to return to his home, a loud thump echoed from the outside, followed by a tiny squeal from a girl. Her familiar voice chimed in his ears, and the image of a girl he met three days ago, resurfaced in his mind.

Uncontrollably, he asked, "Is that Ramla?"

His reaction puzzled the woman as a sheer of curiosity passed over her. But she kept her impulse and instead, proceeded to check outside after motioning her guest to remain seated. Selma pulled aside the curtain to find a lone bucket of water which was fully filled, without the responsible girl she expected- her daughter's voice was perfectly engraved in her mind, unconsciously or not, so she knew of her presence just now. Her head cocked to the left and glimpsed the exact color of her hair fluttering shortly before disappearing at the intersection.

Her daughter was running away from her again. Or perhaps, from the hero?

She let out an inaudible sad sigh and returned to accompany her guest once more.

"Yes, it's her. Though it seems that she runs off to somewhere else again." Selma spoke lowly, then sending him an imploring look that Badr could easily understand.

 _How do you know her?_

Sensing her unspoken question, he sent her a small smile.

"Ah, she helped me a lot when I just returned to this village. She's a smart one." He mentioned the first thing that stood out from the girl.

"... And you don't find that disturbing?" She quickly shot another one, tone flat and face still reeked of sorrow.

Badr frowned against her question before replied firmly, "I don't. _Disturbing_ isn't a fitting word to describe her intelligence. Sure, it is _unusual_ for such a young child to be that intelligent, but I would say it's a positive quality. Don't you think so too?"

Selma's eyes widened when she saw his determined look to stand up for the girl. There was a protective aura emanating from him- a resemblance to her old self.

"Please forgive me." She smiled, a bit woefully, "I'm ashamed of myself for not being able to answer immediately like you do. But, please know that I do not hate her or anything. Ramla is a gift... for me and Asad. Oh how should I tell her about Asad..."

"She... already knows."

That short statement almost replaced the gloom in her eyes with bafflement for a second. Then, she snorted in defeat which sounded a little sarcastic from her lips.

"Of course she knows. She always knows everything before me." Selma seemed weirdly exasperated in Badr's eyes.

Somehow Badr felt he had done something wrong. Maybe it was not his place to firstly tell the girl, accidentally or not.

"I'm sorry. It was unintended, for me to slip up about that. I don't even know she is Asad's daughter when I told her the news... implicitly." Badr could not conceal his unwarranted discomfort.

"No, please don't apologize. It isn't your fault or anything... How was she faring back then?" She recovered, yet there was still this vexation feeling lurking in her sentences.

 _Why did she seem irritated?_

He lost himself in his memory for a bit, looking past the broken girl after she knew that her father was no more.

"She was extremely depressed. No doubt that she was heartbroken."

"Did she... perhaps, bawl?" Selma delved uncertainly.

"I... don't think so. At least, she didn't when she was with me. But I can guarantee you that she was really sad."

True, Ramla did not cry or yell at him after he told her about Asad. Could an infant be that... skilled in controlling her emotion? Not only intelligence but also great mental capability? Maybe she did not feel particularly close to her father?

Selma heaped another sigh while closing her eyes. Ramla never cried except when she was born, and-

"That's the problem." She murmured while closing her eyes frustratingly.

"Pardon?"

"I said _that's the problem_. She never cries even when she was extremely sad. She never begs for toy or food. She's really smart and she always helps me with... pretty much everything." Selma unenergetically complained, abandoning her reservation that she probably should withstand.

This tide of conversation was too sudden for Badr as he could only display his confusion. But he thought it was better than swallowing herself in misery.

"The food that I serve to you, is her cooking. This room... and everything, were supposed to be dusty and messy. I'm not the one who cleans them because she does it before me, as some sort of... nonexistent obligation." She weakly rambled on.

"Wait. I might be wrong, but you seem to... disagree with those beneficial things she does." Badr could not suppress his bewilderment at her explanation.

"How should I put this?" Selma abruptly sighed before continuing, "I'm grateful to have such a helpful child, really. It's just... I'm irritated because she is so capable of doing _my_ responsibilities."

 _That wasn't it._

"... because she ends up never depending on me like what children usually do. And I lose one of my ways to reach her, by being reliable like a mother should be." The rest fell out as a low mumble.

Ramla is too mature for her age, always independently doing what supposed to be _her_ chores and leaving her nothing to do except to focus on her business. From the sound of it, surely it was benevolent and touching of her to lessen the burden of a single parent. But Selma preferred it more if Ramla relied on her since that would make an excuse to interact with the child.

To reach the child. To properly communicate with her.

Let alone a conversation, a simple greeting would be very appreciated.

But they didn't even have that. Both sometimes sleep under the same roof, nothing more or less. Every time she woke up, her daughter had already gone. Not a single opportunity was given to Selma to show her care to the only daughter of this house. Ramla always disappeared before Selma took notice of her. Just like this morning, running off again without words. As if they were strangers coincidentally living on the same property. She was there, but not exactly there.

"There might be a reason for her actions." Badr burst her bubble of thoughts.

A mix of guilt and sadness spread across Selma's face after responding to his input.

"I don't know whether she does those things for guilt-tripping me with her kindness, or maybe a show-off that she could perfectly be fine with living alone. It... doesn't matter because it is my fault to begin with." She smiled bitterly at her vague confession.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Back then, the rumor- other people's perception became matter to me, more than my child. It's not an excuse, but I was under a lot of pressure when Asad went off to enlist in the army. Ramla was born without the figure of a father, leaving me solely as the breadwinner. At first, she was really helpful until people started to view her as a fake child, lacking gullibility and innocence. Her knowledge was abnormally vast for a two to three years old child. Added with her unchildish attitude, bad rumor started to spread. Her sincere care and smartness became a burden instead of a blessing. At that time, war was still raging on and business was dire. The rumor didn't help but affected my business negatively. In the end, I coldly pushed her away then took the majority side without attempting to stop the harsh labeling they gave to my only daughter. Of course, I know I was wrong and I regret it _a lot_. Now, we don't even talk and I think she was clearly avoiding me." Selma looked down, feeling remorseful for her past decision. Now her home was cold, like the meal in her hands that had lost its warmth.

"Have you got any plans to fix it?" Badr tried to direct her thoughts to the right path.

"I... I am trying my best to rebuild our relationship. There are numerous plans that I've devised, but they are all useless if Ramla's always running away from me. So, I w-was hoping for Asad... I was waiting for him to help me mediate this problem. He... had always been good with kids compared to me. Ramla might be happier to meet and talk with her father too." Selma explained, hardly maintaining her calm demeanor.

"If you don't mind telling me, what are those plans?" His eyebrows quirked while his brain trying to compute the solution for this problem.

"For one, I plan to take her with me again to the capital, just like the old days. We can spend the day together and I will buy her delicious food, also things that she might like," her reply came out very confidently organized. She pointed out one of the unique ornaments on the wall and continued, "For example, like those antique decorations. I would say she has an _unusual_ taste. Along with her inquisitive side, she loves ancient artifacts- especially those which hold history, culture, tradition and such."

From what she revealed, Badr could see the shadow of their past relationship. It seemed that they were quite close back then, though the thought of leaving Ramla alone in this house was simply distasteful to him.

"But once again, I cannot do it without her participation," Selma emphasized for the umpteenth time.

"So the problem lies in Ramla, who keeps eluding from your reach?" He concluded.

"Yes. After all, relationship goes two ways. If she doesn't feel the slightest sentiment of reconciliation, like what I greatly harbor, my feelings won't get across to her. She... hates me, and I deserve it." The hold on her spoon got tighter, reddening her palm in suffocation.

Badr peeked at the serving that Ramla had prepared, thoughts wander about her family relationship. Selma assumed that her daughter hated her, but didn't the shreds of evidence say otherwise?

"Do you have any specific meal preference?" Badr broke the mellow momentum in the air with his out-of-topic question, eyes still gluing to his bowl.

Selma was greatly astonished when their conversation jumped into another unrelatable topic. She looked at Badr incredulously but still answered nevertheless.

"I... don't like dry food. In my opinion, a meal should have... soupy or braised component to ease the throat. Light texture is also preferable for my stomach. I'm not picky about the ingredients... though I prefer something that leaves a... salted-flavor aftertaste on my tongue... instead of... sweets." Her firm sentences trailed abruptly at the end. Her words were distracted by another realization that she never pondered about.

Selma peeked back on her cold breakfast, eyes tracing past against the food in front of her. A foreign sensation crept into her chest while her heart started to drum in her ears.

Badr inspected her, who was now in a deep muse- finally realizing the fact in front of her instead of blindly naming their bad association.

"I wonder why she cooked more than one portion _unless_ she intends to share it with someone?"

Another fact jabbed her gut as she found herself hard to swallow her own saliva. Those two pieces hammered down her long last false belief of what her daughter felt towards her.

Oh, she was just being silly, wasn't it?

"If Ramla was so keen to live alone, does she- perhaps- only clean her bed?"

The answer was no. She cleaned her part too. Why? For all this time, it was so obvious.

"I don't think someone would be bothered to do those things to the people she despises. On the contrary, it just shows how much she still cares for you."

 _Why was she so blind?_

"In the end, both of you might have the same feelings, each trying to reach the other in their own ways but also misses each goodwill. A relationship, indeed, goes both ways but only with acknowledgment from both sides." He ended his point.

Selma felt a gush of emotions were overwhelming her. Anger, relief, happiness, and sadness erratically throbbed her heart- each trying to occupy the top seat of her emotional burst. The uncontrollable messy feelings repulsed in her body, making her very queasy in a sudden.

The contradictive news- Asad's death and Ramla's flimsy affection- started to make her felt really sick.

"R-right... I see," She uttered in pieces, her voice seemed so lost and weak, "I... need some time alone, to think about all of these... and settle my feelings."

Noticing her cue, Badr rose from his sitting position while sympathetically added, "Don't be so hard to yourself, Selma. I will take my leave then. If you need any help, I'll be glad to help you."

"Then, could you do me a favor?" Selma proposed before he fully stood up.

"Sure. What is it?" His motion stopped midway, his right hand had already grabbed his cane.

"Tonight- just for tonight, could you- would you look after Ramla? I have something to do and won't be in this house until tonight. Only for today. After that, I promise I'll make it... right." She pleaded awkwardly.

"I'll try," He quickly agreed before giving away his troubled face, "No, please leave it to me- is what I want to say, but from what I've heard, she is... _hard_ to find by. I can try to visit here again later at night though I'm afraid that it will scare her- you know, suddenly meeting her without notice."

Selma's lips twitched into a small smile, "You might find her at the shore by this late noon."

A feeling of approvement and respect were displayed in Badr's eyes, seeing that Selma indeed knew of her daughter's habit despite the distance between them.

"I'll take it in mind. Then, please excuse me." Badr calmly strode towards the entrance, stepping out from the residence while shooting Selma his final glance before he wholly disappeared from Selma's sight.

Losing one occupant, the room was now occupied by the sole owner. Selma looked at the endearing pendant, rubbing the refined surface gently.

"Our dreams have now become naught," Selma whispered to herself, voice cracking in restraint.

 _There will be no princess without her prince, and no prince without his princess._

"But our daughter is still here. So please, lend me your strength just for a bit. Let me take care of her just for a little while. Until then, please be a little patient, Asad."

* * *

The shore.

It was Ramla's best favorite spot, especially at late noon when people were busy to end their activities and prepare to return to their home. She loved how the scarce yellowish sand tickled her feet and the blue color of the ocean that seemed to come alive compared to the dull land. The sauntering of waves was soothing to her ears and the gentle wind would sweep her hair softly to the back. This was her solace, a place where she could attain comfort and relaxation in the simplest form.

However, today was different than yesterdays. She strolled back and forward, dragging the sand to pile on the top of her feet, expressing her unexplainable restlessness. She could not forget the little boy she met once today, and probably forever. Something unfamiliar was nagging her heart, making her could not stay still and have the nice late noon therapy like she always did.

Not exactly the boy, but more to the presence of a companion. She never thought the mere addition of one companion could be so... addicting. That was weird because Sinbad wasn't even her friend, and he was on her top people-to-avoid list, after his father- Badr. So back then, sticking to her principle, she climbed down with Sinbad after he was awake, then led him to a crowded area, only to find his mother was calling for his name. Of course, she wouldn't miss this opportunity to cleanly vanish from the scene while assuring- spying the little boy to be reunited with his worried mother.

Sinbad was just a random little boy whom she wouldn't mind to be with _if_ only he didn't have any relationship with Badr. Call her stubborn or foolish, but Marla's order was her first priority.

Ramla was still distracted by her strange newfound feelings, totally being unaware of a new presence approaching her from behind.

"And here I was expecting you to build a sandcastle or playing with water."

She jolted up when a masculine voice disturbed her thought- the very one she would like to avoid the most. Her body turned to meet with the purple-headed man she begrudgingly expected, smiling as so ever charmingly to her.

Ramla could only stare at Badr, a lot of scenarios were playing in her mind while she tried to pick the best course of action.

Badr seemed to be oblivious to her quiet attitude and kept marching onwards to close the distance between them.

"At least, you are not drenched this time," He teased with a big grin on his face.

Ramla shifted in her position, feeling discomfort to act despicably, and maybe also the uncertainty in his intention. She frowned hard and took a step back to maintain the gap, her feet were now shallowly drowning in the salt water.

Surprised by her clear rejection, he stopped his advance reluctantly. His smile plummeted and eyes were now openly inspecting the girl in front of her. Badr was concerned if he insisted to corner her furthermore, she would go deeper into the ocean and endangering her own life. So he cautiously pried Ramla, "Is there something wrong?"

"What are you planning?" Her voice was sharp and cold, unlike the one she presented to him during their first meeting. The sweet facade he remembered was shattered by the reality in front of him- that she might be acting along to what's supposed to be natural at her age.

Her expression, speech, and gesture might be adult-like, but the accusing intonation she spat was slicked with fright. It was just a form of her defense mechanism as if she was used to being hurt by people- completely unfitting to an adult's upbringing.

"Nothing bad. I just want to meet you, invite you to a dinner with my family, introducing you to my son, and... probably have a sleepover?" He casually drawled in leisure, left hand scratching his chin to highlight his harmless intention.

Ramla's face scrunched questionably, olive eyes scrutinized the man in suspicion. She wasn't sure whether Badr was just playing around to bully her, unmindful about people's opinion- or just simply being oblivious to her bad rumor. Yet, she could not deny the beating of her heart when she was sought for social interaction- added with the chance to meet with Sinbad again.

Hard-headedly, she shook off that thought and buried it very deep inside.

"Not interested," Ramla replied harshly, her face was thrown aside to cut off their eye contact.

Badr smiled wrily after hearing her disinterest, wondering what to do to break her barrier.

"Just in case that Mister doesn't know, people tend to avoid me for their own goods. Nothing good comes out from having me involved- no matter how little- in your life." Ramla straightly bashed the first argument, forefinger pointed out to his way.

Though what Badr saw was a young infant tried to behave as a grown-up, considering her little stature and her child-like pitch.

Playing a fool card, he acted gullibly, "Why?"

"W-well, it's because I behave weirdly compared to my peers and that I am too knowledgeable for my age." She recited other people's excuse from her brain, rephrasing it to a more positive structure.

 _Why should she explain about this herself!?_

"I can't see the relation to that. Is it wrong to be overly smart and different?"

Ramla felt lost against his question. She would like to retort but she did not exactly understand the hesitation in her heart. Because what she felt and the logical fact she held often clashed to the point of no return.

"It is. From others' reactions, it is quite obvious to see how I am the wrong one." Ramla trampled over her own feelings and stated the fact instead. Her pattern of thinking had been permanently tracked by none other than Marla since the beginning.

 _Think logically, see objectively, trust the fact and understand the reality._

A pity formed in Badr's face because, in just a flicker of moment, he could discern the inconsistency in Ramla's eyes as if she was betraying herself.

"And who is the one to decide that? On whose qualification are you seeing good and bad, right or wrong? Other people?"

Badr's counter eliminated all her prepared justifications, making her words stuck in her throat.

"You are smart, Ramla. You must have felt how unfair for you to be treated differently. Just because the majority of people view you as someone wrong, it becomes some sort of a rule, standard- whatever you name it. This is how the world runs." He grimly stated, golden eyes were piercing to her core.

She could not look away from him as if she was feeling obliged to listen, like how it always happened with Marla.

"But you know, this is also why you should stand up for yourself. Because the one who suffers is you. The one who is put at disadvantage is also you. I won't say other people's opinions don't matter. They still do, to some extent. But you are not them. Don't let them define the value of your existence. You are the only one who can assess your own worth. You are also the only one who can grow up your potential to unlimited boundaries. Accept and understand yourself, that's the key to your happiness." Badr gently advised while he slowly took several steps towards the girl.

Ramla's head became slightly crook up to meet Badr's face, heart thundered loudly to protest her agreement yet her brain kept opposing the notion. Her body went stiff, tongue felt heavy as her flesh sided with her feelings.

"You don't know anything about me!" She yelled in frustration, both hands roughly clamped on the sides of her green tunic.

"That's why I visited your home and met with your mother this morning, to know more about you."

She froze again, mouth hanging open in disbelief. She forgot that one occurrence because of her little encounter with Sinbad.

"Don't you want to know what we were talking about?" Badr finally baited her while his body promptly taking a seat at his last stop, allowing Ramla to gaze down at him comfortably.

Though what he saw in her eyes was fear. Like mother like daughter, she had also already made the worst presumption. From her facial expression, Badr already knew her answer before she opened her mouth.

"No." She hurriedly shut down his proposal while her feet stirred in the pool, disturbing the calm transparent water to tremble under her movement.

She was thinking of escaping.

Just when she was about to execute her plan, Badr halted her with a little provocation.

"I don't get what other people see- mature? Personally, I see a coward- someone who is always running away from her problem without trying to solve it frontally."

Ramla stopped her motion to glare sharply at Badr, definitely feeling offended. To think there was another person who could pick up her flaw like it was nothing, such an annoyance. Marla alone was enough.

Badr then smiled tenderly at her reaction, "Easily agitated, always wearing armor because she fears of rejection, doesn't have enough courage and dedication to fix her problem to instead, running away and also trying to act like an adult when she was only a mere child."

Those traits surely described her negatively, but she couldn't find herself to completely deny them, especially the last part.

She was only a mere child.

Her rage subsided to be replaced by a warm, fuzzy feeling. Ramla unconsciously let her posture relaxed, removing the shield of her heart.

"I don't know what makes you the way you are, but you should be glad for being a child. You have the privilege to be selfish, spoiled, pardoned from your mistakes, running away from your problem, and naturally seeking for your parent's aid. However, know that these are the characteristics you should not carry into mature age." He finished his opinion while enjoying the wind rise to cool his body.

Ramla seemed to absorb all of his hindsight, her heart and brain had decided to have a temporary truce. She blinked slowly, and that was the only sign of her being attentive to Badr.

"So that's what I talked to your mother, that you are still a child- just a bit unique compared to the others." Badr now peeked at her defenseless form to find the _real Ramla_ , looking at him with awe and childish curiosity. Her olive eyes were a bit glassy thought it expressed more about relief.

"Won't you take a seat beside me and learn the truth?" Badr tilted his head to his right, indicating her to take his request to join him on the ground.

In response, she skidded to the ground, seated herself comfortably while her legs were folded upwardly- sticking them to her chest. Placing her arms on top of her knees, she hid her face in the embrace of them.

 _Please forgive me, Marla._

Badr choked a small laughter, seeing her abashed demeanor which was a whole different degree compared to her earlier aggressive display. To be honest, he thought it was pretty cute of her.

"Your mother falsely assumed that you hate her," He paused when Ramla shook her head vigorously, then he couldn't help but to smile at her antique.

"Yes, I know you don't hate her. It's partly your fault too, you know? You keep running away from her so she thought you clearly don't want to be with her."

"I'm just afraid to find out that she really hates me," Ramla mumbled under her breath.

"Yeah, I come to that conclusion too and convinced your mother that you actually still love her," He softly uttered while patting her head gently.

Ramla's heart fluttered upon the affectionate gesture. She used to love how her mother patted her head too.

"It turns out your mother, indeed, loves you. Both of you are just being awkward after the rumor incident. So, promise me that you will not run away from your mother and listen to her first, okay?"

Ramla nodded energetically to seal the promise. The prospect of reconciling with her mother had made her eager, yet anxious at the same time.

"Oh, she won't stay in for today though. And that's why she asked me to look after you. I call this _fate_ since as I spoke earlier, I want you to have dinner at my house and play with my son." He beamed cheerfully at Ramla while the later showed hesitation instead.

"Wouldn't that be a bother?" She weakly whispered, eyes staring at the sand beneath her.

"Of course not! On the contrary, it would be rude since I'm the one who invites you, hm?"

The 'okay' almost formed on her lips before a familiar voice was calling for someone at a distance.

"Daddy!"

Both shifted in their position to look back and found another purple head was excitedly running towards them.

"Sinbad!?" Badr proclaimed in surprise to find his son wandering around _again_ without Esra's escort. Meanwhile, Ramla looked dumbfounded seeing the little boy was being adventurous again without any care in the world, which was _worrying_.

Sinbad approached his father, a bit unstable, then readied himself to tackle the adult before he finally took notice of another person whom he actually met today. So he changed his trajectory to tumble in the middle of Ramla and Badr, surprising both parties. Fortunately, Badr immediately slung his arm behind Ramla's back to cushion _everyone's fall_. All seemed to be in good condition, half-steady but nevertheless, no one was hurt.

"Sinbad, what are you do-"

"Nee-chan!" Sinbad's extra attention was fixed to Ramla, ignoring his father in the process.

Badr was confused with their sudden interaction, seeing Ramla was being submissive instead of trying to push his son away.

"Please don't do that again..." She practically reprimanded him insincerely, as if she knew he wouldn't listen to her anyway.

True, Sinbad only tilted his head questionably while his childish grin never faltered. However, the sudden disappearance of Ramla popped up in his head, earning him a pout to the girl.

"Where did you go last time," He cutely whined to the girl, feeling betrayed to be left alone without notice.

Ramla seemed to be lost on what to do because she did lack experience regarding this matter. She stayed silent for a few seconds until Badr decided to hold the rein of their conversation.

Badr coughed to alerted his presence, "I don't know what happened... But I'm glad you guys already know each other. Let's talk about this more over dinner, okay?"

Upon Badr's declaration, Sinbad naturally stuck to his father while Badr was lifting him up to his shoulders. Ramla stared at the combination, eating up the detail of how Sinbad was now clinging happily to his father's neck and hair. As they stood up, her stare didn't stop and the pressure was easily noted by Badr.

"Do you want a piggyback ride too?" He teased her playfully, left hand already grasping firmly on his cane.

She looked away in embarrassment, cheeks were reddening uncontrollably.

"N-no need!" She yelped in denial, "I-it would only tire you, Mister Badr. I'm fine with walking like this," and tugged the piece of his clothes.

Badr could not contain his wide smile at her adorable reaction.

"How about calling me 'father'?" He made another attempt to further teasing her.

"Daddy!" Sinbad chirped enthusiastically in between.

"Not you, Sinbad. I'm talking to your nee-chan."

"Uncle." Ramla persisted stubbornly since it was all the courage she could muster right now while still looking away from Badr.

"I guess that would do for no- Sinbad, don't move around too much! Hold tight, okay?"

"Okay!"

"It's okay, I'll catch him if he ever falls," Ramla mentioned casually.

"Wait, no. That's dangerous for both of you!"

Sinbad and Ramla giggled in synchronization as if they had no problem in this world- free and genuine.

In her life, she still had a lot to mind, but at least she wasn't alone this time.

Ramla peeked up at the two people besides her with great attachment.

At least this time, she might have found one place where she truly belonged.

* * *

 _For how long had she been waiting?_

 _At some point, Alevia stopped to carve new markings on her wall. She decided to give up on her hope, although her brain was still unconsciously calculating the span of time they had been separated-_

 _Or she had been abandoned since._

 _Alevia did not really talk to anyone, including Maylee. She just passed her days living on, laying unmoving and perhaps only moved just to eat her tasteless food._

 _She did not have any purpose in her life, and she never questioned it again._

 _Nothing would incite her will to live, except those two. But it's been almost three years and these three years felt like forever to her._

 _She had been waiting for forever._

 _When there was a loud ruckus outside of her room, she didn't pay any heed to it. The sounds of erratic footsteps, the terror scream from nameless guards and the explosion tremor from whatever it was did not really matter._

 _Her life did not really matter._

 _Though when she heard mumbled voices in front of the door, her senses sharply came back. It was faint, but she knew of these voices- both masculine and feminine._

 _Maybe she was hallucinating. No, she probably had gone mad. Yet, she actually really wanted to believe that behind the door, stood the people she had been waiting for a long long time._

 _Alevia heard another bang against her door before the sound of key was inserted into its hole. In a matter of a second, there was a clicking sound and she did not wait anymore to scoot near the door._

 _She almost collided with the door when it was opened, momentarily blinded her eyes with those excessive lights from outside. She blinked and blinked, hoping her eyes to quickly adapt to the ultra brightness of her surroundings._

 _"A-Alevia?"_

 _Seeing didn't always mean believing. Just confirming their voices were enough for her to grab them in a tight embrace. She didn't need her sight to know who were those people. This time, she wouldn't let go._

 _"Y-you're late, d-damnit!" Alevia whimpered in tears, half-angry but mostly relieved._

 _She had not been abandoned._

 _Her hug was gently replied by Arba while Solomon could only place a gentle hand on top of her head. Both hushing sincere apologies though nothing could amount the loneliness she had experienced._

 _But all didn't matter anymore._

 _"There's a lot I want to say and apologize for, but first, let's get out from here." Solomon firmly stated._

 _After she pulled away, Alevia could see dead bodies scattered throughout the hallway._

 _"W-what actually happened here!?" She gripped both of their clothes in a deadlock._

 _"We're revolting against Elder David." Arba immediately filled in, eyes cautiously assessing the possibility of reinforcement._

 _"And we're taking you with us," Solomon added, his hand clutched her arms as a form of encouragement._

 _Dread, uncertainty, and fear overwhelmed Alevia. Her body shivered unconsciously and hands still pulling their clothes._

 _"Don't worry, Alevia. We are with you. I will not let them harm you and I believe Solomon would do the same."  
_

 _Alevia glanced at Solomon weakly, tears were still flowing down from her eyes._

 _"Perhaps, you really are a mess and you might not survive out there," Solomon rephrased her statement in their last conversation, "but you have me and Arba. Isn't that plenty?"_

 _The final chord was pushed to her. Their unwavering looks spoke a lot to her._

 _'Aren't we your friends? Aren't we your family? As long as we're here, no harm will come to you.'_

 _Both grasped each of her hand softly, their eyes shone with determination and hope._

 _"Let's go. Let's create a world where we all can live freely- not to be confined by my father's unjustified rule."_

 _"To the world where true peace resides."_

 _The hesitation in Alevia's eyes faded as she was dragged outside of her room. Solomon and Arba had broken her cage this time._

 _What she saw until now was nowhere near the real world. She still feared of the unknowns, but at least she would face it together with them._

 _Now was the time she ventured to the outside of her cage- t_ _o the world where she would belong._

.

.

.

Marla floated in the realm of unconsciousness, finding herself burdened with another piece of memory which belonged to a girl named Alevia. It was not hers or Ramla, then why she- and sometimes Ramla- could see them?

Personally, she could endure the emotional burst from those _realistic dreams_ but Ramla might find it difficult as she wasn't emotionally matured yet.

This had been disturbing her so she decided to delve into this current state and found out the reason, including those foreboding warnings which fell out unreasonable- like how Ramla was not supposed to be close to that soldier man.

"Well, well. I never thought I come to the point of not caring anymore whenever others relive my memory."

A voice reverberated in the endless darkness, something anomaly that only happened for the first time in Marla's wake.

"Neither do I expect you to be able to come here and hear my voice. Though that much should be expected from my _student_ \- what do you want me to call you? Should I call you Marla too?"

Marla was irked by the unknown intruder who seemed to act on a personal level with her.

"Who are you?" She asked suspiciously.

"... The drawback, huh? Fine." An exasperated sigh could be heard from the so-called intruder.

The silence stretched for a few seconds before she finally introduced herself.

"I'm Alevia."

* * *

 **P.S.** Questions? Critics? Basically your opinions, I need it! If you have spare time, do me a review!

 _ **Guest**_ \- Hi "You updated" Guest! I hope you're still around. Endless thanks for your constant reviews as it tells me that someone keeps reading my story. And yeah, keeps writing "You updated" as your form of Guest identification xD!

 _ **XxxGlitterBombxxX**_ \- Glad to know you like it! It's late, but here is the new one. I hope it will still be amazing for you :)!


	6. Valentine Special 2018

**A/N:** Here is a short special story dedicated to celebrating Valentine. Nothing much to say except... _Happy Valentine!_ I hope you guys can spend it with your loved ones :3!

 **Disclaimer:** This is purely my story... There aren't any Magi's characters or plots in this special chapter.

* * *

 **Valentine Special Dark Chocolate Edition 2018 - Dreams**

Pray to tell, what gives meaning to human's life?

Is it wealth? Knowledge?

Is it the time you spend with loved ones?

Perhaps the memories and feelings that you gain from them, which now defines you as who you are?

Or maybe acknowledgment from a certain someone?

There are no absolute answers as they vary for different people.

But for me, it is dream. Without it, what's the meaning of my life?

Today I will tell you about my tale- about the life of an ordinary woman that you can simply spot in the midst of human sea. About someone that is simply ignored when passed by. Just like any other.

My name was Selma. Short, simple and easy to remember, and also forgotten. I was raised by my mother for about three years before she passed away due to incurable sickness. My father... wasn't just there. So I was taken custody by my aunt from my mother's side.

My new caretakers were kind. They took care of me as if I was their daughter. And soon after, I befriended a cute girl who was around my age. She became my close friend.

 **But, I was not living.**

Loved and accommodated, what could be wrong in my life?

 _Everything_. Everything in my life, in my blood and in my existence.

I was born with a weak constitution- an inherited curse from my mother. So my kind aunt and her husband treated me with extra attention.

As if I would break, like those beautiful, expensive but poor fragile glass.

I could not wander far without being accompanied.

Could not do strenuous activities.

Could not roam freely with my peers.

Could not carelessly savor just any delicacy.

Could not do... almost _everything_ , alone.

Their kindness and care were suffocating me. And I unconsciously accepted their thoughts of me, that I was hopelessly weak. That I was useless and unable to vouch for my own living. They killed the value of my life.

 **I was dead for all I knew.**

When I was little, people asked me what I dream to be.

 _'A princess'_ , was what I said.

My dream was cute and common so they smiled sweetly at me and praised how adorable I was.

Little did they know, how sincere I was about my dream. After all, wasn't princess supposed to be an important figure- beautiful, charming, elegant and intelligent? Even if she was flawed, people would still admire and respect her. Even if she was born sickly, her life would still be meaningful.

Unlike me.

Time flew away without me and parting with my childhood time had proven to be the worst time of my life. Because when people had grown up, my clock remained unmoved.

Then they would ask me again, _'What is your dream?'_

 _'To become a princess'_ , my answer stayed unchanged.

The responses they gave me were different. Though I didn't know what I expected to hear from other people by saying such ridiculous answer.

Outsiders would sneer at me.

Acquaintances would shot me a wry smile while muttering how _pure_ I was to hold my childhood dream for so long, albeit with fakery.

Friends would try to suggest me with more realistic dreams.

What I hadn't prepared for, was my close friend's response.

"A princess, huh? I guess it fits you. Princess always needs to be attended and served, right? Then, does that make me your loyal attendee?"

That... wasn't what I meant. People looked down on me, I know. But to know that your close friend and family agreed with public's opinion, wasn't exactly a pleasant feeling.

 **It hurt. Did dead people even feel pain?**

By that time, all other reactions fell deaf to my ears. I was more preoccupied with beating back my tears from flowing. How embarrassing it would be, to cry in front of people. What would they say?

 _A pitiful girl who lived a sad, short life._

Yet, there was this commentary that stole my attention. It originated from a boy who just recently moved from some remote villages, someone I just met for today.

"Princess? As in, a royalty? That's... gonna be tough." He genuinely expressed his opinion without realizing the accusing stares from others, excluding me.

Because when other people deemed his words as provocatively rude, what I caught were a slight wonder and huge sincerity towards my dream. His attitude differed from the rest as he was taking me seriously.

One thing I greatly regretted was to stay silent even when he was isolated from the misunderstanding of his response. I wasn't the type of person to approach people, and being the center of attention only emphasized my lack of confidence. So I did not do anything.

As I grew older, my close friend played with a more exciting circle. Their activities were fun, but really draining. Once or twice, my close friend would decline their offer to stay longer to escort me back. I became a liability to her and I had felt that someday, she would leave me after realizing I was only a burden to her. And so she did. She wasn't wrong, it's a fair decision. My weak body should be blamed instead.

 **I hated myself, more than anyone else.**

Truthfully, I expected nothing of my life. But you see, even in what seemed like this pathetic life of mine, good things would come. My second encounter with that boy became the beginning of my life.

We were walking aimlessly from the opposite sides when our eyes met. Both of us were lonely, that fact was so obvious.

"Aren't you the princess?" He greeted me without ill intent- quite weirdly in my view because that sole _princess_ subject was the root of his current miserable life.

"It's Selma," I immediately returned while my face was cast down shyly.

I was pretty introverted back then, completely contrasting with my current self. It's hilarious if you think back to it.

"Just Selma?" His intonation raised as if he was expecting more from a name. Nothing inspiring passed in my mind except confirming his rhetorical question with a firm nod.

"You do know that all princesses have cool and super long names, right? Well, let's not make it too excessive... Starting with the crucial one, a last name- or family name."

Commoner's name always consists of a short name- first name- since their ancestors are insignificant compared to the royalty. So regular people ended up omitting their last name which then forgotten. They simply introduced themselves with first name and their origin.

Honestly, it was something I never thought about until he mentioned it.

"I never think about it... Wait a minute. D-do you believe in my dream?" I spluttered in surprise.

"Of course, since we have the same dream!" He beamed at me, enthusiasm clearly showed in his every fiber.

I was astonished by his confident reply. He was someone who shone brightly more than the sun, spilling his dream- what people perceive as childish- as if it was something reachable. He believed he could realize it.

"More like... I want to be a royalty. Pretty similar to yours, right?"

"Why specifically royalty?" My curiosity won over my shyness.

"They are someone who is respected and looked upon. Some of them might get that title by blood, but some- especially their ancestors- had accomplished great deeds that affect other people's lives positively. They are acknowledged and honored for their effort, and in return, were given authority and called as 'royalty'. Wonderful, isn't it? I would like my name to be written down in history as a great royalty!" He cheerfully explained, eyes glinting with excitement.

He seemed so full of life compared to me. We dreamt of the same thing, yet we were so different.

 _So dazzling._

A burning sensation spread across my chest. It was the first strong emotion I ever had after been so lifeless all this time.

"...What's your name?"

He smirked playfully at me, "Asad _Meshkenet_. That's how you do it."

The name was longer than ordinary people. It wasn't that splendid or alike to me, yet there was something about him that made me keep looking at him. My heart fluttered in admiration. It was simply a seed before it evolved into greater feelings.

"Now that you think about it, royalty is a pretty generic term," He seemed to observe me momentarily, then an idea struck him.

"Right! I can be the prince and you can be the princess. Since there will be no princess without her prince, and no prince without his princess. With this, we can work towards our dream together!"

In only a matter of seconds, I fell in love with him. It was just that easy though, at that time, I wasn't aware of it.

"Even though I'm weak?"

"That's something you can change."

"What are you planning to do to become a... prince?"

"Firstly, I will enlist myself to the army once my age meets the requirement. Also, I'm gonna promote the 'Meshkenet' instead of Asad." He ended his statements jokingly.

I giggled freely for the first time in my life, feeling refreshed by his mere presence.

"Then I guess I'll support you. Once you become a prince, don't forget about your princess, okay?" I bravely uttered, my eyes couldn't go astray from his face.

I saw how his face slightly flushed, brightening his tanned skin. Yet, determination was still flaring in his eyes and tone.

"It's a promise, then."

This is a tale about an ordinary woman who found love and dreams. But you see, even good things would come to an end someday. And that's why you should appreciate them when they are still there.

My name is Selma Meshkenet- people only know me as Selma. I just lost a loved one and my only one dream. They disappear together without notice, just that easily. The only one remains that keep me alive, is my daughter.

I promised Asad that I would take care of our child in his absence. I guess it is the time to actually realize my words.

I am purposefully awake on this very early morning, waiting for my daughter to come home from what I assume as a sleepover at the hero's house.

The moment there is a shuffle to our curtain door, I glimpse at the small figure of my daughter who looks surprised finding me waiting for her. She has the same hair color as me, but what I love the most were her eyes and face- because they are the exact resemblance of Asad.

Ramla is the proof that he was once alive and formed a family with me.

"Welcome back, Ramla. Do you want to go to the capital with me today?"

* * *

 **P.S.** I was planning to tell how Selma bought the pendant and how she was proposed to the moment when Asad was summoned, leaving Selma who was only conceiving Ramla for 3 months. But sadly, I don't have enough time to do that and I really want to publish this on Valentine day! If requested, maybe I'll expose those details in another extra chapter.

Next chapter will _finally_ reach Chapter 1 of Sinbad no Bouken Manga. Though I'm not sure when will I be able to post it with my busy schedule. But no, I don't plan to abandon this story. Other than that, I hope you have a wonderful Valentine~ Cheers!


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